Shattered Illusions
by KlynneL
Summary: The pen is mightier than the sword and words are a big part of Clark's life. All it took was a few well aimed words to change his future.
1. Chapter 1

**I've had this story stuck in my head since I first saw SR in the theater. It just wouldn't go away, so maybe by putting it out there, I'll have a little less clutter in my head. This is my first fanfic so be gentle.**

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Superman.

She sat at her desk contemplating the silent enigma sitting at his desk in the middle of the crowded office. Sitting there with her son perched on his lap, laughing at the joy only the innocence of childhood could bring, she pondered him again, thinking of the time he was gone. He was her best friend, her partner. He knew her better than she knew herself. She was brash, he was quiet; she grabbed life by the balls, he was happy just to be. His quiet confidence inspired her. Nobody saw it, but she did, she always saw – him, just has he could see her.

She watched as his eyes turned to the monitors above them, full of sadness, pain. It was there, but nobody noticed it, nobody but her, and the little bundle of joy that sat perched on his lap, picking raisins out of a box.

Gently, he put Jason down, whispering something in his ear. He rose from his seat, and walked quietly to the elevator. Nobody noticed his retreat. It had been three days since he came back to work. Four days since he woke from slumber, a week since he came back from wherever.

Lois was lost in thought as she ascended the stairs to the roof of the Daily Planet. This was their place, at least one of them. Here, high above the city, they could meet, talk, dream. Things were so much simpler back then. She could be open with _him, _tease him, but she didn't dare do those things now. There was too much at stake. God, why was that alien so stupid? Did he really think the best course of action was inaction? Leave things as they are? For cryin' out loud, they had a son together! It was the least he could do….

_How is it possible to stand there, looking over a city with millions of people, and feel so alone?_ Clark thought. _Why am I so lonely, when there is life all around me? Why can't we have the life we have always desired? Why am I such a coward? How can I get back what I lost so long ago?_

As Lois opened the door to the roof, Clark slumped at the parapet surrounding the rooftop, staring out upon the city.

"I knew I'd find you up here," she said, half to herself. "How are you?"

Clark turned to her surprised by the concern he heard in her voice.

"I-I'm okay. Just a little overwhelmed is all. It's been harder coming back than I thought." He adjusted his glasses. "How did you know I'd be up here?"

"I always know," she answered, then stopped as if holding back the rest of her thought.

"Perry said your mom called, said that they found you unconscious near where Superman crashed. You were in the hospital?"

More concern. This was the Lois that only Clark had seen in the past.

"Yeah, I guess I wasn't watching where I was going," Clark gave his best attempt at a sheepish smile but it felt more like a grimace.

"I went out to help look for you and ended up getting jumped by a group of thugs. They stabbed me in the back and left me for dead." Clark disguised a shudder with a shrug.

"When I woke up, the hospital was flooded with people waiting for news on Superman."

"That was quite the crowd." Lois commented. "I'm glad that you're okay now."

"Yeah, I'm okay." Clark mumbled, more to himself, than to her. _I'm much better than I was then, thank you. You gave to me what I was missing. I should tell you._

"Um, Lois, could I, could I tell you about something that I think happened while I was in the hospital? I really would like to talk to – a friend."

Clark noticed a slight hesitation as Lois answered, "Sure, Clark, whatever you need. I'm here for you."

"Gee, where do I begin?" Clark stumbled to find the words. His nervousness compounded with every second. Turning away from Lois, he removed his glasses and started fiddling with them. He knew that once he said what he had to say, what needed to be said, any chance at a normal life was over. This was Lois Lane to whom he was about to spill his guts. The woman he loved, the mother of his child, the one he had let down. But he knew that this was right. She needed to know.

"Clark?" Lois broke into his thoughts, "Earth to Clark, are you there?"

Clark put his glasses back on as he turned to face her. "Oh, sorry. It's just, you know, it's kind of difficult. I'm not used to talking about myself, to you." Lois flinched.

"When I was unconscious, I felt someone come into my room. Someone I care deeply for, but I thought I had lost forever. See, before I left, there was someone, someone that I loved, I hoped to marry. Things didn't work out and I left."

Clark heard a slight hitch in Lois' breath as she moved closer to him. "What I didn't know, what she came to tell me, is that when I left, I left her with a part of me. She told me, 'I want you to know…'"

"…Jason is yours — you are a father, Kal-el" Lois finished for him. Clark looked at her as she spoke those life-changing words, shock evident on his face.

"I know," she said. "I remember it all. I waited for you to come back to me for so long, to tell me everything again. I was so angry when you left. So hurt. How could you leave me, leave us?"

"I didn't know; if I did…"

"You never would have left. But you had to, didn't you? You had to see for yourself. I think you are more curious than I ever could be. That's what makes you such a good reporter: you are always asking questions — questioning everything.

"Everything, but the most important question, 'why can't you be with me?' 'Why can't you just love me?'"

"How long have you known?" he asked, his voice pensive as he looked into her face, "How could you - "

"It came to me as I realized that both Superman, and Clark were gone. We had your farewell party, said our good-byes and you left, both of you. I knew then who you were; you were the man who could fly, while still keeping both feet on the ground; the one man who can keep me grounded as well. This also helped," with that she walked to him unfolding a very fragile-looking scrap of paper. As she unfolded it, Clark gasped. It was a picture of Superman, with glasses and a suit jacket drawn over it. "I can never forget who you are," she said, placing his hand on her stomach where she once carried their child.

Clark was in awe of this woman. She knew him, all of him. She hadn't forgotten; never let him go. He was always there, hidden in her heart. He was a part of her, as she was a part of him. He knew that now.

AN: Thanks to Mak5258 for beta-ing. You are awesome!


	2. Chapter 2

**_AN: Thanks Mak for the plug you gave me. And for the quick turn around with this chapter._**

**_AN – 2: If you haven't read Mak5258's story Identity Crisis you should. I can only hope my story is as gripping._**

They stood there, at the top of their little world, looking over the city he protected. She was his all in all, his heart. Their love had done what nothing else could; he finally belonged.

Clark looked at her as she held his hand, not knowing what to expect from this unpredictable force called Lois Lane. Where did they go from here? What did she want from him? How can he be what he now needed to be, wanted to be? What about Richard? So many questions swirled through his head, he felt light-headed. Maybe he wasn't as well as he thought.

"Are you ok, Clark?" Lois asked.

Clark shook his head, as if trying to clear a fog. "Maybe I need to get more sun," Clark answered weakly. "I used most of my strength lifting that thing into space."

"Maybe you should go get some sunshine." Lois agreed, "You've been through a lot in the last few days." A far-away look crossed Clark's face as he heard a voice bellow below. "We need to get back to work, Perry's looking for us," he said.

The ride down to the bullpen was taken in silence. Both parties that occupied the car contemplated their recent conversation. There was still much to discuss, decisions to be made. Those decisions could not, and would not, be made in haste. There was too much at risk.

Everything felt surreal to Clark. _Was it just a few days ago I flew out of this building to rescue Lois? _He thought to himself. How much had his life changed in those few hours, so much more than in the days since his return from Krypton. Being a writer, he knew the power of words, but those words, the words barely whispered into his unconsciousness changed everything. A son, he had a son.

Clark closed his eyes and pondered what Lois had told him, only to pop open as he heard in the back of his mind the heckling voice of Lex Luthor: "Like a son inheriting the traits of his father!" he spat out as he beat Superman on that island. _Does he know? How could he? There is no way. Unless — something happened on that yacht. Oh dear God!_

As the elevator doors opened onto the bullpen, Clark stilled his thoughts. Right now he had other things to take care of, like getting back to work. After all, he was still paid to write about the happenings in the present, not to ponder their future, or past.

Lois was the first to exit the elevator, striding towards Perry's office, Clark stumbling as if he was struggling to keep pace with his petite partner. It amazed him how she could switch modes like that, going from the emotion-filled conversation they just had, to Mad Dog Lane in less time than it would have taken him to change into his suit.

Jimmy looked up to see the pair exit the elevator; "Chief's looking for you both, and he's in one of his moods." He warned as he grabbed at his camera, not quite trusting that Clark would manage to pass by without knocking it down.

"Lane, Kent, where the hell have you been? My office NOW!" the Planet's Editor in chief bellowed, again. Clark looked at Lois and shrugged, as if to say some things never change, and do you have any idea what _you_ did? Lois smirked back at him.

"What'd _you_ do this time, Smallville?" Some things really never do change, he sighed as they entered Perry's office.

* * * *

Inside a ten foot by ten foot concrete cell, a distinguished looking elderly man sat staring at the wall, as if he were looking out a picture window; a newspaper lay in his lap. How long he had been a prisoner inside these walls, he had no way to tell. The days felt as if they were both longer and shorter as they passed.

He was kept isolated from the others, his jailers claiming it was for his protection. He felt that it was from fear, fear of who he was, what he was. He once had, for a short time, power, great and fearsome power. He had power over the lives of all who inhabited this place, power to do as he willed. He had power, but not discernment; strength but not wisdom. He did not understand the people he attempted to lead. They saw him as an evil tyrant, but he saw them as a primitive people who needed a strong leader. Then the one they called Superman appeared, and by using the treachery of this primitive people, defeated him. Not only was he defeated, he was stripped of his power, and placed in this hole: isolated but not weakened.

He'd had time, plenty of time. He observed them, learned from them and about them. He gained wisdom from their history. He watched as their hero disappeared. Listened as they at first questioned his absence, then as they realized he had left them; he relished their anger towards their hero.

Now the hero was back, and this man realized that he needed to assert his place in this world. They knew their hero as Superman. But he had known him as the infant Kal El, the son of his friend, turned enemy. On Krypton he would yet be considered a child, not yet ready for the responsibilities of the adult world. He had already proven that as he left the most precious treasure in the universe unprotected. He looked at the paper in his lap, gracing the front page was the photo of a woman carrying a young child, surrounded by a crowd awaiting news of their hero. A boy with eyes he would always remember, the face of from a childhood long gone. Oh, he would never forget his betrayer, Jor El, and now he could repay a long held debt.

***

Once Lois and Clark entered Perry's office, the chief looked at his two top reporters, both noticing a look of apprehension on his face. "Kent," he started, "what can you tell me about that General Zod?" His glance toward Lois told her that he understood he was bringing up a sore subject.

"Zod?" Clark asked bewilderedly. "Only what Superman told us. And that wasn't much. Why?" Perry gave Clark a disbelieving stare.

"Kent, Lois told me when she got back from Niagara, that Superman needed your help. Now, he had to tell you something about the man to get your help. We really need to find out as much about the man as possible, as soon as possible."

"Why, chief?" Lois inquired as she looked nervously at Clark. "We all know what happened: he came, tried to conquer, was defeated by Superman, stripped of his powers and locked away. What more is there to say about him?"

Perry looked over at Lois, "He wants an interview." Lois and Clark gasped at that revelation. Zod had kept to himself since his imprisonment, refusing to even speak to an attorney, choosing instead to allow himself to be placed in a super-max prison. Lois had tried, at one point, to visit him, thinking that perhaps he might know what happened to Kal-El, but was turned away.

"I need you and Kent to go to the penitentiary where he is being held. He says it is time to address the incidents leading to his incarceration. He's claiming that he was some sort of political prisoner before Krypton exploded, and Luthor's pawn after he arrived on Earth. "

"No way, Perry!" Lois exclaimed. "I mean, Clark just got out of the hospital. Don't you think it is a little soon to send him halfway across the country to get an interview with some alien psycho?" Clark flinched slightly at that last remark.

"Its ok Lois, if the chief needs us to go interview Zod, then maybe we should." _That would give me a chance to find out what he is up to. Father warned me about him. I didn't listen the first time. I won't make the same mistake twice._

Lois wasn't about to back down, "How about I take Richard instead?" Clark gave her a quizzical look.

"You don't understand, Lois. He specifically asked for you both. He won't speak with anyone else. You don't have a choice here," Perry said, exasperation apparent in his voice.

Clark noticed Lois deflate at that. He then realized, as she already had, why it was that she was hesitant. Once Zod met Clark Kent he would know exactly with whom he was meeting with. Clark could not hide the truth from Zod; there would be no illusion to hide behind.

"When do we leave?" He asked quietly.

"Tomorrow." Perry answered, as he handed Clark their plane tickets. "I want you two to give me all you can on Zod by this evening. I want to know just what it is we're getting into."

"Oh, by the way, he has also sent a letter to the UN to have them declare Superman's fortress to be Kryptonian territory, and all rights be granted to him, as the elder Kryptonian on the planet." At that Clark turned away, closing his eyes and dropping the tickets Perry had just handed him.

"Sorry, chief." Clark mumbled, obviously embarrassed by his clumsiness. What started out as a beautiful day had turned into a nightmare.

Lois gently placed her hand on Clark's arm as they were leaving Perry's office. "Are you alright?" she asked quietly.

It took a lot to make Clark angry, but now it simmered: anger towards the only person whom he hated more than Lex Luthor. The one who had taken everything that mattered away from him. The one who destroyed his home, his world. General Zod, the trusted head of the Kryptonian Security forces, who tried to overthrow the ruling council and place himself in charge of the dying planet. When his coup was averted, he started a series of events that hastened the destruction of Krypton.

Clark was overwhelmed by the revelations of the day, Lois had never forgotten, she didn't hate him, and now Zod was trying to take what was left of his home away from him. Well, at least Superman hadn't been called upon for the last couple hours. Clark walked distractedly back to his desk.

As they sat at their respective stations, Lois started putting together a plan of attack. When they found out about Zod the first time it was she who had to come back to Metropolis and explain what Clark needed to do: that Superman entrusted him with the secret location of his Fortress of Solitude, and he was needed to implement a distraction that would lead to the ultimate defeat of Zod. It was important that they keep that story straight, or Perry would find out that they were hiding something from him.

"Clark," Lois said, making Clark jump. "You can't possibly intend to go ahead with this interview, can you? I mean, one look at you and he'll see right through you. And if he knows who you are, then—"

"Then what Lois?" Clark shot back at her. "Then he'll figure out about Jason? That he'll know that you and I, that I'm …" Clark felt a surge of anger through him like hot wax running through his veins.

"Don't you dare say it, Clark Kent; don't you even think it. You are not, by any stretch of the imagination, a dead-beat dad." Lois chastised him as quietly as she could. "You had no way of knowing I was pregnant when you left. And even if you did, I wouldn't have let you stay. You needed to go, to find out for yourself what was out there. If you had stayed because of me, you would have ended up resenting us, resenting me.

"Right now, we have to figure out how we are going to handle this interview. Because there is no way in hell you are going into that prison. Not only is Zod there, but also, didn't Superman put special lights in his cellblock? Lights that replicate Krypton's sun to keep Zod powerless? If you went into his cell, you too would be powerless."

Clark looked at Lois and nodded in agreement. "And as I was saying; if Zod recognized you, he could use it against you. He could reveal your secret to the world, and there would be nothing you could do to stop him." With that said, Lois stood up and started to walk towards Richard's office. Stopping at the door she whispered to Clark "Now, I wouldn't be against some super-ears listening in from somewhere nearby.

"Oh, by the way," Lois said, "is your mom still in town? Because, if she is, we could use her help watching the Munchkin while we're gone. I plan on having Richard accompany us on this. We might need his, uh, 'expertise' in the diplomatic front if Zod drags the UN into this. Oh, and you and I really need to talk." With that, Lois closed the door to Richard's office.

Clark swallowed nervously at that statement, flushing with the remembrance of the last time they spoke those words, and what they were a prelude to. He realized that was exactly why they had to talk, why his mother was needed, and why his anonymity was necessary. Clark was once again amazed at this woman, and how quickly she could switch gears. One minute she was planning her next great interview, and the next arranging for her child to be placed in the care of his elderly grandmother whom neither had ever met.

Clark's eyes turned to the assistant editor's office as he had another thought; if Richard was going to accompany them on this trip, he would have to explain why he wasn't actually going to sit in on the interview with Zod, and why Lois was having his mother watch her son. Besides, he too deserved to know exactly who fathered the child he was raising.

Clark stood resignedly and started walking towards Richard's office, knowing that once more he had to share his secret for his son's sake. He stopped as he heard the subsonic rumbling of tectonic plates slipping, another big earthquake somewhere. He looked into the office as his son looked back at him. He looked puzzled, as if he heard something but didn't know what he was hearing. Tuning into the news feeds that were a constant in the bullpen, Clark heard that the quake was centered in a highly populated area in central China, near a large dam. Giving a small wave to his son, he quickly headed to the elevator. He would speak with Richard later. This was going to be another long week.


	3. Chapter 3

Martha Kent had all the fortitude that makes up a farmer's wife. Farm-life is not for the weak, or the lazy, and, like her son, Martha was no slacker. Once she arrived in Metropolis she knew that her son would not have the time to look for a place to live, so she took the job upon herself.

When Clark had first arrived in Metropolis, he arranged to have half of his paycheck sent to her, thinking that she could use it to ease her burden. But Martha had other ideas, and put it aside for her self-sacrificing son, knowing a time would come when he would need it more than she. When she finally told Clark what she had done with the money, he was greatly impressed with this "simple farmer's wife," as she would call herself. With what she had invested from his wages, and the proceeds from leasing the fields, she could retire in comfort. Instead, she found a nice brownstone for her son and just finished the process of purchasing it. He would be able to move into it in a few weeks. Then he would finally have a place to call his own.

As Martha thought about her son's new home, she as was interrupted by the chirping of her cell-phone. "Martha Kent speaking," she answered hesitantly, as the number was not one she recognized.

"Oh, Mrs. Kent," the woman's voice on the other end said "Um, you don't know me, I, um, work with your son, Clark. I'm his partner, Lois Lane." Martha smiled at the nervousness in her son's friend's voice. _She sounds as nervous as Clark. _"I was wondering if you, if you and Clark would come to dinner tonight? We have a very important interview tomorrow, and we need to um, prepare for it. And I would very much like to meet you, and for you to meet somebody," Lois said.

Martha's face lit up with a smile as big as the Kansas sky. "Would this somebody happen to be around five years old, have messy brown hair, and his father's eyes?" Martha answered back. It was obvious where Clark got his investigative skills.

"Ahh, umm, so, he did tell you about Jason? I was hoping he did," Lois replied, trying to get a handle on the conversation.

"No, we haven't really had the time to talk." Martha said. "He's been busy doing what he does, and I've been trying to get him to slow down."

"Then how did you know?" Lois asked. "And, are you assuming that I know what else he does?"

"I saw you both as you were leaving the hospital. I would have known who that little one's father is no matter what. You don't know how happy you've made me. As for you knowing the truth, you wouldn't have invited me to dinner if you didn't, " Martha said

"I can see where he gets it from. I thought it was because of who he is, what he is, but it isn't, is it? You can see right through people, Martha Kent."

"So, about dinner?"

* * * *

Clark returned to his mother's hotel room just as she was locking the door on her way out. "Gee, Mom, even here in the big city, I can't get you to stay in for the evening, can I?" Clark quipped.

"Nope," she replied nonchalantly. "I have a big date tonight! I'm meeting with a very special young man. Perhaps you'd like to join us?" His mother teased back. Clark gave her a questioning look. "Lois invited us to dinner. She wants me to meet **your** son," she explained.

Clark felt his stomach squirm nervously. He had wondered how that conversation went, and when his mother was going to read him the riot act. He should have been the one who told her.

"That Lois is a very nice girl, Clark. I think I'm going to like her," Martha finished. "I have a cab waiting. You go ahead and clean up. I'll meet you at Lois's house. I'm sure you'll beat me, the way traffic is in these parts."

Clark entered the room, and looked at the luggage out of which he was still living. He was thankful that his mother was able to help him get a place. Picking out his best flannel shirt and khaki pants to change into, Clark returned to a chain of thoughts that had started as he was dealing with the earthquake in China. It was then that Clark came to the decision that he had to speak with Zod himself. It was a difficult choice, but the only choice in the long run. If Zod had specifically asked for Lois and Clark to interview him, after years of refusing to speak with anyone else, Clark came to the only conclusion there was: Zod had waited for _him_ to return to the Planet. Zod already knew whom it was he wanted to talk to. Now if only he could convince Lois that this was the best way to proceed.

Martha's cab arrived at the Riverside Drive house, and Clark opened the door before his mother had a chance to even reach for the handle. Martha smiled at him as he held out his hand for her. He might be the most powerful man on the planet, but his mother raised a gentleman.

"Mom, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Jason before. I just didn't know how to tell you," Clark admitted.

"Oh, Clark!" she exclaimed. "Your father and I raised you to know better, but that doesn't mean I'm angry with you. A little disappointed, maybe. But I do understand, these things happen. I know that you will do whatever needs to be done to take care of that little boy, and he will grow up to be as fine a man as his father." Clark blushed at his mother's complement. "As for now, Mr. Kent, I have date to meet my grandson, and I, for one, don't want to wait another minute." With that said, she walked to the front door and rang the bell.

Jason was the first to the door, running almost too fast. Clark smiled as he watched his son's antics through the door, and noticed Lois's not too pleased look as she realized just how fast her son had moved. Lois finally managed to move Jason to the side so she could open the door and properly greet their guests.

"Good evening, Mrs. Kent, Clark. Won't you please come in," Lois said as she escorted her guests into the foyer.

"Wow, this is some place you have here, Lois," Clark commented, clearly impressed with the house.

"Thank you, Clark. We really like it here, it's quiet, and there is room for Jason to play," Lois said while looking at her son. "Mrs. Kent, I'd like to introduce you to Jason, Jason this is Martha Kent, Clark's mother."

As Lois introduced the two, Clark wished that she had introduced her as his grandmother, but he knew that it was too soon to drop that on the boy. His mood was lifted as Lois continued speaking: "Jason, could you please take your grandmother and father to the living room, perhaps one of them would like to read to you or something?" Clark was surprised that she had already told their son of his paternity. He started wondering how much more this boy knew as he followed him into the next room.

Clark looked around the living room. It looked as it did the night he hovered nearby watching the family that lived here. Jason walked over to the sofa and picked up a book from a pile on the end table. Some of the books looked worn and well loved, as if they were handed down. Clark looked through the cover of one book and saw a sticker that said "Property of Lois Lane" and realized that these were some of the books she had read growing up. The fact that she still had them told him that, even as a child, she looked at her books as friends. It made sense, as much as she moved as a child, her books would give her a sense of continuity.

"This one is Mom's and my favorite." Jason said as he handed a book to his grandmother. The orange book was titled _Miss Suzy._ "It's about a little gray squirrel who lives in a big oak tree who was chased out of her home by a bunch of bad squirrels."

"Oh, dear!" Martha exclaimed in exaggerated horror. "Its okay, Gramma," Jason said, "she gets her house back." With that, he sat next to his grandmother and listened as she read the story. Clark watched contentedly as his mother and son bonded. He could get used to this.

Lois was finishing up with dinner in the kitchen as Richard entered. "Hey!" Lois exclaimed as Richard snatched a carrot off the vegetable platter. Richard smirked at her. Contrary to popular opinion, Lois could cook, she just didn't do it often. She hated the mess. She had decided to make a simple meal of corn chowder, breadsticks and a vegetable platter, that way she could get to know Mrs. Kent better. After Jason was sent to bed they could figure out how to handle the interview with Zod.

"Do you need any help?" Richard offered.

"No, I think I'm just about ready," she replied.

"So, Clark Kent, hmm? I always wondered why it was you had me get Jason's real birth certificate sealed and get one made with my name on it. Why not just let people know you had a thing with the guy? Why all the secrecy? Was it to protect his mother? I know you both made some pretty powerful people angry back in the day," Richard started to get into investigative mode. Lois had to distract him from this line of questioning, or things were going to get out of hand.

"Richard, you and I both have our secrets, and our reasons for doing what we do. We can't talk about it right now. We have guests."

"Yes, and one of those guests is your son's 'father.' Look Lois, I came onboard to protect you from the bad guys the two of you pissed off. I was told that I was protecting the famous Lois Lane from herself, that there was noise about using her as bait to get to Superman. That Lane and Kent uncovered some of the biggest political cover-ups out there, so big that Kent had to leave and go into hiding, but you refused. When I found out you were pregnant I figured that I really was protecting Superman's girlfriend, and soon his child. Do you really expect me to believe that this guy is J—"

"Excuse me." A deep voice interrupted from the doorway. "I hope I'm not interrupting."

Richard turned to see a different side of Clark Kent – Jason's father. Clark stood in the doorway, his posture perfect, not slouching, hair out of his eyes, glasses in his hand. Richard had laughed it off before, but this time he saw the real Clark Kent or was he Superman?

Dinner wasn't quite what Lois had expected, but Clark revealing himself to Richard was sure to take the direction of the after-dinner discussion more to Lois's liking. She was sure that Clark was now noticing that Richard and her "relationship" was not what it seemed to the outside world. There was a reason why they were engaged for so long.

Jason and Martha spent most of the time discussing the squirrel bullies that chased poor Miss Suzy out of her house. Jason was sure that the captain of the tin soldiers who helped her get her home back had to be as good as Superman, and from the stories Clark had told him about his mom, he was sure that his Gramma was as kind as the little gray squirrel.

"Jason, put your plate away please, and kiss your father goodnight," Lois said.

Jason looked from Clark to Richard in confusion. "Which one?"

Lois smiled. "Both, sweetie."

Grabbing his plate and rushing to the kitchen, Jason screeched back into the dinning room and kissed the occupants of the room on the cheek.

"Night, Mommy," he said, pecking Lois on the cheek.

"Goodnight Jason… oh, and no running, you know I had to replace the carpet already."

Jason nodded, and walked awkwardly out of the room.

Martha chuckled. "I remember having to tell Clark that when he was young. Just wait till Jason starts shooting fire out of his eyes."

Clark looked at his mother in embarrassment. "We don't know what he'll be able to do, Mother." He said trying to console Lois, seeing the look of horror on her face.

Once Lois got Jason settled into bed, she joined the rest of the adults in the living room. Martha had been regaling Richard with stories about the joys of raising a Kryptonian child. "I don't think I was more frightened than the day Clark figured out he could fly. Well, hover was more like it. He was running through the fields jumping as high as he could. He ended up crashing through the barn roof and falling. I thought for sure that my boy was going to be splattered to smithereens. Instead he was just floating there, inches from the barn floor. I have seen many amazing things raising this one, but once I saw him floating there I knew there would be no holding him back. With him, even the sky wasn't the limit."

Lois was speechless as she listened to the woman who raised Superman. Though she was responsible for the upbringing of the child who would grow to be the strongest, fastest and more than likely the most respected man on Earth, she exuded the humbleness that Clark was known for. Lois suddenly felt inadequate for the job of raising his son. By listening a little longer, she was little comforted with the fact that Mrs. Kent had felt the same way while she was raising Clark.

"Shouldn't we get Perry the information he wanted on Zod," Clark asked Lois, pulling her out of her thoughts before she could start throwing herself a pity party. She nodded slightly, then turned to Martha asked if it would be possible for her to stay with her grandson while they went to interview Zod. Martha was more than happy to agree, then asked if someone would call a cab for her as she was getting tired, and wished to return to her hotel for a good nights sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to anything Superman

A/N Thanks to my beta Mak5258

After the reporters saw Martha off, Richard had another chance to see how Lois had changed in the last few days. He had heard stories of "Mad Dog Lane", and knew that she was never one to put a story off, but he had never really seen her in action like this.

"Now that we have the preliminaries finished," Lois started looking at Clark, "we need to put together some basic facts for Perry. I really don't know that much about Zod, but from your reaction when you saw the news reports after, ­umm our time together, I figured he had to be a pretty bad guy."

Clark looked down at some imaginary speck on the carpet, removed his glasses and placed them carefully on the coffee table, then sighed. "Krypton was a peaceful planet. Crime was almost unheard of, and we had no capital punishment. General Zod was the head of Krypton's security forces. His job was to protect the people of Krypton. When my father discovered that Rao was dying, Zod tried to use that to seize control of the government. His idea for saving Krypton was to send a colony to another planet and rebuild Kryptonian society there.

"There was just one problem: the planet was already inhabited, with what he considered a very primitive and therefore expendable people."

Richard spoke up first, "Let me guess, he wanted to send them here."

Clark nodded before he continued. "The counsel wasn't convinced that my father's findings were accurate. They felt that another scientist's theory was more accurate: that their sun was going through a cyclical expansion, but it would eventually return to normal."

Lois and Richard listened as Clark explained how Zod eventually led a group in rebellion against the counsel, was charged with sedition and exiled to the Phantom Zone. The irony was not lost on any of the three: Zod, Ursa, and Non lived, when everyone else on the planet died.

"Zod is not someone to trifle with," Clark said. "Perry said that he specifically asked for you and me to interview him. If Clark doesn't accompany you to the interview I doubt that you'll even get one word out of him."

"Clark! You are not going into that prison! You'd be powerless, he might figure out who you are," Lois shouted.

"You're not listening, Lois," Clark said, speaking in his natural register. "Zod asked to speak specifically to Clark Kent. Why would he be so specific, unless he already knows who I am?"

"Clark's right, Lois. From what we know about Zod, he wouldn't ask to speak with just anyone," Richard agreed.

Lois looked at both men, and sighed resignedly. "I still don't like the idea of you going in there. What if you are mistaken, and he just asked for us both because he saw our by-lines together?"

"Lois, my by-line hasn't been with yours in five years. It hasn't been anywhere in five years. Zod has to have figured out who I am," Clark argued back.

"I say we play our cards close to our chest, and find out exactly what Zod does know," Richard asserted, trying to calm the tension between Lois and Clark. _I wonder if Lois realizes how crazy she makes the guy,_ he thought as he noticed the muscle of Clark's jaw twitching slightly, as if he were clenching it.

"How do you suggest we do that?" Lois and Clark both shot back to Richard. He smiled slightly to himself as he realized the dynamic that these two indomitable forces created together. "We test him. Lois, you and I go to the prison, and introduce me as Clark. If Zod speaks with us, we'll know that he doesn't know that Clark is Superman or whoever."

"Kal El" Clark answered softly. "My given name is Kal El. Zod knows me as Kal El, the son of Jor El."

_This must be difficult for him. _Richard thought to himself. _He has kept everything secret for so long. I'd have just as difficult time opening up my life to a complete stranger. I hope I deserve his trust._ Richard notice a change in Clark's position as he turned his head to a sound that nobody else had heard.

"Jason," Clark said in a firm but happy voice.

"What are you doing up?" Richard started to stand up to sweep the boy up to bed, when Jason quickly ran and climbed up into Clarks lap, burying his head in his father's chest.

"Make it stop!" Jason cried as he thrashed his head back and forth. "I don't like it, it hurts!" The child exclaimed

"What hurts?" Clark asked patiently as Lois and Richard looked on helplessly.

"The sound, its high, like a bug buzzing around my ears, but it won't go away," Jason cried.

"Maybe your ears are just ringing," Lois said.

"No, Mommy!" Jason yelled, then looked down apologetically, "Someone is talking. They keep saying 'son of Kalil.' Who's Kalil? You told me my father was Clark!"

Kissing his son on the top of his hair, Clark quietly answered him "I am Kal El,"

Jason gave his father a puzzled look, "I thought your name was Clark,"

The three adults in the room broke out in laughter, Jason's innocence breaking the tension that had been building in the room all evening. Clark looked at the child in his lap. "Jason, what can you tell me about me?"

Jason looked at his father with a look that was completely Lois when she didn't quite get where you were coming from. "Gramma Kent said that they found you when you were little. She said that you have always been really really strong and fast, and when you got bigger you couldn't get hurt. You're Superman, right?"

Clark smiled, "Yes, Jason, I'm Superman. But that's what your mom called me in an article she wrote about me a long time ago. When Grandma Martha, and Grandpa Jonathan found me when I was little, they named me Clark. When I was born my birth parents named me Kal El. But you can't tell this to anyone. Can you keep this a secret?"

Jason nodded his head, "That's why I could do that,"

"Do what?" Clark asked, looking puzzled.

"I threw a piano at a bad man who wanted to hurt Mommy," Jason said looking down at his chest "I'm sorry," he added.

"You did what you had to do, Jason," Clark reassured him, holding him slightly tighter, and kissing his head softly.

"Do you still hear the buzzing?" Lois asked, changing the subject.

Jason shook his head no.

"Then I think that you need to go back to bed, young man," Lois asserted.

Clark stood up with his son, "I'll put him to bed," He said as he headed to the staircase. Lois simply nodded.

"Now, Jason, did that voice say anything else?" Clark asked as he carried his son up the stairs.

Once Clark had ascended the stairs with Jason, Richard turned to Lois and said teasingly, "So, you really were Superman's girlfriend. You really did catch him"

"But I couldn't hold onto him," she answered shaking her head slightly.

"Clark had always been a puzzle for me to solve," Lois began. "Always disappearing, never around when Superman was. I put the pieces together, and knew that he had to be Superman.

"I started to play games with Clark, dropping little hints, trying to get him to slip, to get him to admit he really was Superman. One day, while we were on assignment, he really did trip, into a fire. He had to tell me the truth, then," Lois smiled at the memory. "He took me to his fortress, and there I learned everything I could about him."

"The other night, when I asked you if you loved him, why didn't you just tell me the truth?" Richard asked.

Lois sighed as she started playing with her hair nervously. "You asked me if I loved Superman. I did tell you the truth. Everyone was in love with him. But once I knew who he was, all of him, I knew that I could never really have him. Superman is the hero the world needs, but because of that need, I can't have the man. So answer me this, how can I love Superman, when it's he who keeps me from having the man that I love?

"Times like tonight are rare. When can he spend time on himself, with those he cares for most? He got to sit through dinner, visit with us, and tuck his son into bed. What every other man takes for granted; he can't, it's not possible.

"I don't love Superman. I'm in love the man who is Superman. And I'm too selfish to want to share him with the rest of the world," Lois admitted, unshead tears glistening in her eyes.

"Jason is asleep," Clark announced as he entered the living room. "We should finish up, I'm sure you both must be tired."

Richard looked up at the hero to see if there was any sign that he had overheard their conversation, but saw no evidence one way or another on his face. "Perry said something about Zod wanting control of your fortress, and Lois just told me about you taking her there, but I don't ever remember reading anything about it. What is this fortress?"

Clark returned to his spot on the sofa, "The fortress is a re-creation of Kryptonian architecture. Inside is stored all the knowledge of the 38 galaxies known to Kryptonian science. It is where I found out were I was from, and who I am. It is run by an Artificial Intelligence that was created by my father. He actually programmed it with my parents personality, their memories. I interact with the AI through holographic images of my parents," Clark answered.

"How did it get here?" Richard asked.

"It was constructed from a crystal that accompanied me in my spacecraft," Clark said as he looked at Lois.

Richard was intrigued with the knowledge that along with the otherworldly origins of his colleague, he had apparently been accompanied by some extraordinary technology_. I wonder how big of a ship carried him here?_

Lois piped up, "A crystal called to him one night. It led him to where it was to be constructed. He showed it to me when he took me there. It was a beautiful green, almost like Kryptonite, but it wasn't."

"Clark, I saw your crystals on Luthor's yacht. He took them!" Lois said, obviously upset by the memory of that day.

"It's ok, Sweetheart," Clark said comfortingly. "Luthor didn't get all of the crystals, and he didn't get the most important ones. What he did get were copies that I made to keep the fortress running while I was gone. You didn't think I'd be foolish enough to leave the originals behind, did you?" Clark smiled at Lois.

"I just didn't think that Luthor would have been able to penetrate the location of the fortress, or that he would steal the remaining crystals. I figured he would be out of the picture for the few years while I was gone. Just one more thing I concluded wrongly," Clark rubbed the bridge of his nose, fatigue showing on his face.

"What sort of information does your fortress contain?" Richard asked.

Clark looked uncomfortable, "The information the fortress contains is largely knowledge that you as humans are not ready to handle. Much of it could be dangerous in the wrong hands, as was proven a few days ago by Luthor."

"If this fortress is full of dangerous Kryptonian knowledge, Zod would be unstoppable if he's granted control," Richard said, stating the obvious.

"That's why it's so important for us to get that interview," Lois interjected. "I just don't think it is wise to put Clark in the situation where he is stripped of his powers, as he would be by entering the section that holds Zod, and his cling-ons," She finished, referring to the prison wing that was designed specifically to house the Kryptonian criminals.

"Why are you so worried about my safety, when you have no compunction about doing whatever it takes to get the story?" Clark snarked, his irritation with Lois apparent.

"Because you're you, and somebody has to look after you, because you won't!" Lois snapped back.

Richard was stunned when he realized that Lois was actually arguing with Superman. But was more shocked when he realized that Clark was actually fighting back, something that he didn't think the quiet man from Kansas would do.

Clark shifted in his seat, straightening his position, gearing up for battle with Lois. "Do you think I leap before I look? Do you really think I rely just on my powers? I don't like this any more than you do. I just don't see any other option," Clark said.

"That's because you are missing some important facts," Richard said, trying to defuse the situation. "You aren't the only one in this room with a secret life."

A/N I might be a while before I upload the next chapter. Real life will be hectic for me the next few weeks.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Sorry that I took so long getting this uploaded. Real life gets hectic around this time of year. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Superman.**

General Zod sat in his cell, staring at the same spot he had for the last few years. He wondered at the fate he had been dealt. The immeasurable time he spent in the Phantom Zone, followed by a brief respite of freedom. Now he was stuck in this human jail, sentenced to fester inside these walls, never to see the yellow sun of this world, to feel its power surge through his body.

In the Phantom Zone there was no time, no change. It was as if he were assigned to live out eternity in Purgatory with no promise of release, into either another realm, or oblivion. On Krypton it was known as a living death.

But for some reason Fate had released him, and his closest followers, Ursa and Non. He had been sent here for a purpose: there are no coincidences. He, Dru Zod, had been sent to the sanctuary of the heir of the one who had betrayed, and sentenced him to eternity. He had been spared, when all life on Krypton ended.

Kal El was but a child when he was sent to this world. He would have no memory of the world of his birth, his heritage. There were cultures on this planet that were proud of their past, true. But theirs was an older, wiser society. The people of this world were still very primitive. Any society that puts possessions before relations, that seeks power without honor, knowledge without wisdom, is destined to fail.

These people, as Jor El would continually preach to the counsel, have great potential, they only lack someone to lead them. He would be that one. But he must either befriend, or remove Kal El. For whatever reason, these humans trusted him, even after he had abandoned them for several years. Perhaps he could use that trust.

Ursa had been the first to note his weakness; he cared for the humans. He cared so much, he picked one of them to be his mate, to bare his heir. _How can I use this? How can I affect him? _

Zod smiled as he removed a piece of green crystal from a secret compartment in his cell. It amazed him at how easily fooled some humans were. When his personal affects were confiscated he convinced the guard to allow him to keep the crystal, telling him that it was a piece of his destroyed homeworld. It actually was a communications device that was genetically keyed to Kryptonians. Each house had a specific frequency that they alone could receive. He hoped the crystal would allow him to target a very young and malleable Kryptonian-Human half-breed, to begin to train him to be a true Kryptonian.

Dru Zod, General of the Security Forces of Krypton, one of the greatest strategic minds in the twenty-eight known galaxies, had began to plan his assault against his last foe. This would be his greatest battle, one he could not afford to lose. Tomorrow his battle would begin, one that would bring down the House of El, and establish control of this world to the House of Zod.

Morning came to the Lane-White household, and with it one very content Martha Kent. Martha had gone back to her hotel room with the full intention of sleeping, but found slumber to be an illusive beast. All night long she indulged herself in the memories of raising Clark, and conversing with her long dead husband, Jonathan. He would be so happy for their boy. She knew that Jonathan, had he lived, would be upset that their son had fathered a child out of wedlock, but she also knew that the anger would be short lived. One look into those intense blue eyes of their grandchild would have melted his heart, as it did hers.

"Mornin' Mom," Clark greeted her as he joined her on the front step.

"Oh, Clark," Martha gasped, placing her hand over her heart. "You startled me. I didn't expect you to sneak up on me like that."

Clark gave his mother an amused smile, and glanced at a box sitting to the side of the door. "Superman went to the farm to pick up a few things he thought you might like to share with Jason. I thought that they would be more special if you gave them to him," Clark explained, his eyes sparkled with happiness.

Martha looked at the box, and noticed that it contained some of Clark's favorite toys. Well, the ones that survived his sporadic bursts of strength. She smiled as she reminisced the days of her son's own childhood. She hoped that his son would have as many carefree days as his father had, and that they would be able to build as many happy memories.

"You know, Clark, just because you missed his early years, doesn't mean you missed out on everything, and it doesn't mean he won't love you. You don't need to give him stuff to get his affection," Martha reminded him gently.

"I know that, Mom. It's – just, I know that I won't be there all the time. If my job at the planet doesn't keep me away, my responsibilities as Superman will," Clark explained, stepping up to the door. Just as Clark lifted his hand to knock, the front door opened, revealing a frazzled Lois. "Clark! Martha! I was wondering when you were going to get here. Jason has been driving me crazy all morning wondering when you'd be here."

"Gramma, Clark!" Jason shouted as he ran to greet his grandmother and father, coming to a halt as he saw the box that Clark had carried in. "What's in the box?" Jason asked, hopping excitedly.

"Well," Martha said, "you shared some of your favorite stories with us last night, so your um, Clark," Martha said hesitantly, noticing that they boy hadn't referred to Clark as his dad, "and I thought that we should share some of his favorite things with you."

Clark placed the box of toys on the floor so that Jason could look at the contents. Inside was a miniature John Deere tractor, just like the one Jonathan had used to cultivate the fields; a baseball glove that was still a bit big for the lad; a couple wood puzzles, some books and a real leather tool belt, complete with child sized tools. Martha remembered how excited Clark was when he was given the tools for Christmas when he was five. He was ready to go out to the barn to help Jonathan on every project he could think of after that, thinking that he was all grown up.

Jason took the tool belt out of the box and was already pulling the little hammer out looking for something to hit. Clark kneeling to Jason's level gently took the hammer from him, "Jason, with these tools come great responsibility. You can use them to make many wonderful things, or fix things when they are broken; but you can also hurt yourself or somebody else with them. I want you to be very careful with them. Will you be careful with them?"

Jason nodded to Clark. "I'll be really careful with them," he promised, taking the hammer and running off with his prize to show Richard.

"Why do I get the feeling that the tool belt speech has more than one meaning?" Lois asked, crossing her arms.

"My dad told me the exact same thing when he gave me those tools," Clark replied.

"Jonathan's father said the same thing to Jonathan when he was given them," Martha added. "Those tools have been used to teach many important lessons, the first is responsibility. They have been handed down to several generations of Kent men."

Martha recalled the countless hours her two men would spend in the barn, working on different building "projects." She remembered how Jonathan would give Clark a board and some nails to hammer into it, until he learned how to hit them gently, not bending the nails or destroying the board in the process. As Clark grew, the time they spent on different building projects became some of their most important bonding experiences. Smiling, she also recalled some not so spectacular creations, such as a birdhouse that looked more like something from a Dr. Suess book than a birdhouse.

"So Kent, are you bribing the kid with weapons of mass destruction?" joked Richard, as he and Jason joined the others, Jason looking sheepishly at Clark. "He already thought that a hammer would make a great fly-swatter and tried to hit a fly that was on the kitchen window," Richard said, as he ruffled his son's hair.

Martha smirked as she saw her son look at Jason with exasperation. Lois simply walked over to her son, giving him the look. "Jason, you told your father that you would be careful with the tools. I don't think that hitting a window with a hammer is very careful, do you? And you, Mr. Kent, I don't think that it was very smart to give a five year old a hammer as a toy."

"The hammer isn't a toy," Clark replied. "It is a tool. When we get back from our appointment with Zod, I'll teach him how to use it properly, how to hit nails with the proper force. "

Lois glared at Clark, "Maybe you should have waited until you have the time to teach him how to use it to give it to him."

Martha walked over to Jason, put her hand on his shoulder and asked if he would like to share some more of his books with her, removing them both from what appeared to be the beginning of another storm between Lois and Clark. Lois gave Clark an irritated look, mumbled something under her breath, and followed Martha and Jason into the living room.

"I've been with Lois for five years, and I don't think I've ever seen anyone frustrate that woman more than you." Richard said with a smile in his voice. "It really amazes me that she never went after you with a Kryptonite club."

"Give her time, Richard, just give her time," Clark mused. Both men knew Lois and her temper, but they also realized that she was more bark than bite when it came to those closest to her.

"So," Richard said, changing the subject, "are you ready?" Richard noticed a slight change in Clark's stance, marking his obvious discomfort with the day's agenda.

"I'm ready," he replied, resignation clear in his voice.

Lois, Martha and Jason walked back into the entryway, "We have to get a move on if we are going to make our flight. Not that it matters one way or another," Lois said looking at the two men that could, at any point in time, fly her to any destination she desired.

Richard winked at Lois, "Yes, but we all know the pencil pushers at the Planet frown on me using my plane for business travel. And who knows how they would react if they ever found out Clark doesn't even need one."

At that Richard picked up Jason to give him a big hug. "When do I get to teach you to fly, kiddo?" He said, swinging him around while tickling him. Jason laughed loudly.

"You told me you'd teach me when I can reach the control pedals. I'm getting bigger, so maybe tomorrow?" Jason asked hopefully.

"We'll see, son," Richard said mournfully, thinking that the boy would more likely learn to fly under his own power before he had a chance to teach him his style of flight. Placing the boy back on the ground, then ruffling his hair bidding him good-bye.

"You be good for your grandma," Lois admonished taking her turn to hug her son. Then turning to Martha she added, I left a list of his medicines on the fridge, there is also a list of foods he can handle. He'll try and sweet-talk you into things like egg-rolls, and peanut butter cups."

"I'm sure I can handle this little imp," Martha said with a twinkle in her voice, "after all, I did survive his father."

Clark blushed at his mother's comment. He kneeled down to eye level with Jason, "You call out to me if you start hearing that sound again, okay?"

Jason nodded back to his father.

"Jason, I love you very much, and you know what? I can hear your heart, yours, your mother's and you grandmother's. I listen for you. If you need me, call me, okay?" Clark hugged his son tightly, kissing the top of Jason's head. Clark then stood up, turned to his mom and hugged her. "I love you mom. Thank you."

The three reporters walked out the door, leaving Martha and Jason to their own devices.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thanks Mak5258 for getting this beta'd. Even with going back to school, and ramping up her story 'Identity Crisis' she got this done for me.**

The three-hour flight from Metropolis to Chicago was nothing if uncomfortable. Lois sat between the two men, their shoulders entering into her personal area. Clark had apologized for brushing against her on several occasions; Richard just took it in stride. They had tried to carry on small conversations, but the weight of recent events was too much for small talk, and too important to discuss in the confined area of the plane.

When the plane finally approached their destination Richard released a sigh. He didn't like flying when he wasn't at the controls. He wondered if Clark had the same feeling, then remembered that Superman had made a comment about flying being the safest way to travel. Somehow, he felt that there was an inside joke there between his fiancée and Superman.

Then he realized what he was doing, thinking of Clark and Superman as two different people, when they were really one and the same. But then, Clark did try to keep the two identities separate. Richard wondered by what name he referred to himself in his inner dialogues, and if he thought in English, or Kryptonian. There was so much under the surface of the façade of Clark Kent he didn't even think Lois could make a scratch in it.

Once they had retrieved their luggage, and a car from the rental lot, the three reporters continued their journey to a hotel a short distance from the prison. The prison was located in a town that made Smallville look like a big city. There wasn't even a supermarket in the town, Lois noted. She groaned when she saw a sign that said, "Welcome to Grandvale, a dry town."

"Well, so much for having a nice strong drink today. What is it with small towns and liquor, Smallville?" Lois chided. Clark just shrugged his shoulders and smiled as he continued watching out the car window. "Oh, great!" Lois continued complaining "There isn't a single Starbucks or bar for miles, but Fly-Boy over here can get his fix anytime he wants, just look at him soaking up the rays."

"Yes, and my fix doesn't make me have to stop to pee every five minutes, nor will it pickle my liver," Clark poked back.

"So, how long are we staying in this backwater town?" Lois asked Richard.

"However long we need to get the story," the editor replied. "What's wrong, Lois? For someone who obsessed over the hayseed over there for as long as you did, one would think you'd like the small town atmosphere," Richard added. Lois just shook her head.

After arriving at their motel, the three reporters checked in: one room for Richard and Lois, and a separate but adjoining room for Clark. The rooms were simple, two beds, a table and chairs, with a small kitchenette. A door opened between the two rooms. Clark had excused himself to his room, as Lois and Richard entered theirs.

Richard had spent years infiltrating various organizations, studying their networks, bringing down a multitude of nefarious groups for the CIA. He had impersonated drug lords in Central America, and accounting executives in Silicon Valley. When his Uncle Perry's request for someone to protect the infamous Lois Lane came, he had no idea the extent to which this mission would come.

Richard was chosen because he and Lois had a prior relationship as teenagers, when their fathers were stationed at the same base. The story was that they met for the second time at Lois's father's retirement party. They had started talking to each other over the internet, and Richard applied for a position at the Daily Planet to be closer to Lois. They never expected the feelings that they pretended to have would become real. For Richard that happened the day two little blue eyes looked at him for the first time.

Lois had insisted that she would use no drugs during her pregnancy or labor; she worried about how they would affect her baby. She had no choice, though, when preeclampsia threatened both her and her child. Even though Lois had done everything possible to take care of herself and her child, her blood pressure kept going up, eventually to the point where she was having seizures. After a routine ultrasound found the placenta was dying, her obstetrician worried that acidocis would set in, and the baby would die. Not only that, but even with bed rest and reluctantly taken medication, Lois' blood pressure was dangerously high. At 32 weeks the decision was made to take the baby by cesarean section. During the procedure she slipped into a coma.

For the first week, Richard would split his time between the neonatal ICU and Lois's room, terrified that one or both would succumb. When Lois finally regained consciousness, she was too weak to go see Jason. He was almost two weeks old before Lois saw her son for the first time. When she saw how tiny he was, and all the equipment it took to keep him alive, Lois broke.

A preliminary birth certificate had been filled out, waiting for Lois' signature, Richard had been listed as the father. That was the "official" birth certificate. Another form was filled out by Lois, and sealed under a government order. It listed one Clark Kent as father, his current location as unknown.

After a month in ICU, Jason was able to go home. The Planet celebrated by having a champagne dinner catered to the parents, and a giant stuffed bear for the baby, hand delivered by Perry himself. That night Richard proposed to Lois. When Richard and Lois announced their engagement everyone was thrilled.

But they never proceeded with any plans for a wedding, and Lois would become very upset at the mention of setting a date. Jimmy concluded that it was because she was still in love with "you know who," and left it at that. It pained Richard, but he had to admit that it probably was Clark Kent with whom she was in love.

Richard had been trying to figure out the dynamics of Lois and Clark's relationship ever since Clark had returned. He knew that they at one time were one of the greatest reporting teams in Metropolis, but Lois had refused to speak of those days. Once he found out the truth about Clark, more and more pieces had fallen into place.

"Why do you do that?" Richard finally asked Lois.

"Do what?" Lois asked.

"Why do you taunt him like you do? Is it some mind game you like to play?" Richard asked.

"I don't quite understand what you are getting at, Richard. I don't taunt Clark."

"Yes, you do. You did it the whole drive here. You tried on the plane, too, but he just ignored you."

"I'm not taunting him, Richard," Lois said calmly

"Then you have the strangest way of flirting I've ever seen," Richard replied with a sly grin.

"I'm not flirting, either. It's just the way we've always talked to each other, how we keep each other focused on something other than the story. I can't really explain it to you," Lois said, shrugging.

"I guess it's complicated," Richard finished for her.

"You should have heard her at Niagara," Clark interjected, startling both Lois and Richard. "Sorry, I heard you through the door."

"Niagara?" Richard asked.

"The last story we did together, before I left. It was an expose of corruption in the honeymoon industry. I think Perry was intending it to be part of a bigger story on how the wedding industry bilks thousands of dollars out of poor unsuspecting couples. Lois and I never did finish that story," Clark shrugged.

Richard looked over at Lois, and noticed the slight blush.

"No – we got a little sidetracked. Then a big story kind of dropped out of the sky," Lois remarked.

"One we finally get to finish, I hope," Clark added. "We need to get ready. Our interview is at four, and it is already three o'clock. Nothing irritates a Kryptonian more than tardiness."

"This coming from the King of 'sorry I'm late, but...'" Lois grumbled.

Clark gave Lois an annoyed look. "We will already be testing Zod's temper by trying to pass Richard off as me. By arriving late, by even a few minutes, we would be showing him contempt. If things are as you assume, and he doesn't know who I am, than you still are not showing him the respect he feels he deserves.

"If we want any chance of success in this, we have to treat him in the manner that he assumes he deserves. That means you have to arrive on time, and I know this is hard for you, Lois, but, you have to _WATCH YOUR TONGUE_!"

Clark's outburst startled Richard. The first few days he had observed Clark, he had thought that he was something of a wimp. Since he had learned Clark's secret, he realized that this man not only possessed physical strength, but internal strength as well. His quiet, gentle nature was true meekness, not a sign of weakness. His confidence was overwhelming, if one just took the time to look past the illusion of Clark Kent.

Richard carried his garment bag over to the mirror that hung above the dresser. He carefully removed a slightly wrinkled suit, and a pair of glasses. Placing the glasses on his nose, and flopping his hair over his eyes, he turned towards his associates.

"Just let me get changed, and we can get going," he said in the slight Midwestern drawl of his accomplice. Lois and Clark were both stunned at the ease at which he assumed Clark's character.

"Do I taunt you, Clark?" Lois asked, breaking the silence that had grown increasingly uncomfortable since Richard went to change.

"No more than I taunt you, Lois," was his reply as he moved closer to her. He reached out and put his hand on her arm. As soon as his skin made contact with hers, she felt the electric charge between the two of them. She looked up at him making eye contact, then looked away.

"Yeah, taunt me," she stated under her breath.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Clark asked.

"I don't want to see you stripped of your powers, Kal El," Lois stated avidly, using his Kryptonian name to emphasize her point. "Once you are under the red lights of Zod's section you would be –"

"Normal. Human. Mortal."

"You could be hurt, overcome and killed," Lois finished. "I don't trust Zod, and I don't trust the government."

"Yet you are engaged to a CIA operative," Clark argued back.

"One that stepped away from the agency after he took his last assignment, when they tried to get him to steal a premature infant from his mother, so that they could test him for any abnormal DNA sequences," Richard admitted as he reentered the room fully attired as Clark, right down to the ugly tie.

"I told the agency back then that I was the father, and that Lois and I were going to get married and raise our family together. I told them that Lois had never had a physical relationship with Superman. That other than her former partner and me, she didn't let anyone else even get close enough to have that kind of relationship with her."

"And did they believe you?" Clark asked.

"After a few days of him not reacting to sunlight, his breathing difficulties, and his overall failure to thrive, they became convinced I was telling the truth. After all, Superman's son couldn't have any defects of that nature. They've left us alone, until now.

"But I agree with Lois. If Zod knows that you are Kal El, then entering into that institution puts you at risk, and if he doesn't, then no harm done," Richard said.

"I don't understand why you are so afraid of Zod," Clark said.

Richard looked over at Lois, who nodded her assent. "Clark," she started, "the Speaker of the House, Anne Lopinski, has been meeting with Zod. She is convinced that he isn't a threat to humanity, that you were mislead, and that he was a political prisoner. She is the one behind his petitions to the UN."

"Then why does he want you, Superman's 'press agent,' the one who had been rumored to be his girlfriend, to conduct his first interview?" Clark asked.

"Because I'm just that, I am the world's foremost expert on everything Superman. I also wrote an article entitled 'Why the World Doesn't Need Superman.' And if that article didn't scream woman scorned, I don't know what would. Maybe he thinks that I would be willing to listen to him. Or maybe he wants to apologize for terrorizing me, and using me as bait to get to you.

"Listen, Clark, I'm going to that prison now, and I am going to get the second most important interview of my career. I am going to find out what that bastard is up to, then I am going to expose him for the fraud he is. And then, I hope that you finally will be able to send him back to the hole he escaped from."

Lois's adrenaline was pulsing through her body. She hadn't felt the thrill of the story for a long time, and she wasn't about to back down now, nor was she ever going to let Clark anywhere near that prison.

"Then I guess we should get going. Do either of you mind showing up with Superman? Perhaps that way we would cast some doubt in Zod's mind," Clark postulated.

**A/N 2 I'm one of the biggest lurkers out there, but even I look forward to reviews. And I am trying to get better about reviewing as well. : )**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Well here it is, the interview with Zod. I had a very difficult time getting this written, so I hope you enjoy it. Thanks again to my great beta Mak5258 for taking the time to make sure I put commas and periods in the right place. And thanks to those of you who take the time to review. **

The guards at the gate were surprised when Superman alighted in front of them accompanied by Lois Lane, and a very uncomfortable looking man, who's press pass identified him as Clark Kent.

"I hope that you have an uneventful visit with the general," Superman said to Miss Lane.

"Thank you, Superman," Lois replied.

"Lois Lane and Clark Kent to see General Zod, we have an appointment." Lois said to the guards as they approached the gate.

"Uh, yeah, four o'clock Lois Lane, Clark Kent. The warden would like a word with you when you are finished," the older guard replied. "If you'll just sign in here, Seymour will escort you in."

Seymour escorted the two reporters through the high tech facility. The red lighting throughout the section that housed the three Kryptonian criminals gave it an otherworldly feel. Lois was beginning to get uncomfortable with this whole situation. She looked over at Richard and noticed that he seemed nervous as well, but she didn't know how much was real, and how much was an act. She realized how good an actor Richard really was, almost as good as the real Clark.

The guard reached the door that led to the visitation area and keyed in the access code. The steel door swung open to reveal a large room with tables and chairs looking more like a dining area than a visitation room. General Zod was escorted into the room from another door, and guards stood at attention at either door. Lois noticed that there were cameras in the corners of the room.

General Zod looked as dignified as ever, even in his prison issue jumpsuit. His well groomed beard had a slight peppering of gray in it, as did his hair, and she had noticed, he didn't seem as gaunt as he was after his escape from the Phantom Zone.

"Good Afternoon, Ms. Lane. And I am to presume you are Mr. Kent?" The General greeted his 'guests.'

"Yes sir, I'm Clark Kent. It is nice to meet you," Richard responded, extending his hand to shake with the General.

"Hmmm, you're not as tall as I expected." Zod interjected, ignoring the outstretched hand.

"Shall we start the interview?" Lois said, noticing how closely Zod was observing her partner.

"Oh, please, have a seat Ms. Lane, Mr. Kent. Where are my manners? Yes, shall we begin," he answered in a very pleasant voice. "I'd like to thank you for coming and allowing me to put the record straight.

"First, I think I owe you, Ms. Lane, an apology. I treated you abominably, especially for one who is linked with the _Great_ House of El. I was not in my right mind at the time, after my exile to the Phantom Zone. One goes mad in that place."

"Thank you, General. It means a lot to me that a man such as you would apologize to me," Lois replied, sweetness dripping from her voice.

"General," Richard/Clark began, "In your statement, you claim that you were a political prisoner."

"Yes, my confederates and I were charged with sedition. When Kal El – Superman's – father, Jor El discovered our planet was in danger of destruction, we felt that a plan should be formulated to evacuate the planet. When the Counsel refused to listen to the voice of reason, even to the point of silencing Jor El himself, we took action. Our allies took control of the main communications center in Kryptonopolis, in an attempt to inform the people of Krypton of the impending doom, giving them an opportunity to escape.

"Unfortunately, a trap had been laid for us, and Jor El was forced to conduct the inquisition, to prove his loyalty to the counsel. Ursa, Non and I were found guilty on site, and exiled into the Phantom Zone, without a chance to even defend ourselves," Zod stated.

"But didn't you destroy a control crystal?" Lois asked, thinking back to what Kal El had told her the night they learned of Zod's coup, before he headed back to the fortress to attempt to regain his powers.

"The crystal I destroyed was used to observe the people's movements. All activity on Krypton was kept under constant surveillance. We did not enjoy the freedom you have here on Earth. We were fighting a repressive, unfeeling regime, which ultimately was responsible for the loss of billions of lives. Not only were we fighting for our freedom, we were fighting for our lives," Zod declared.

"What about the incident in East Huston? How do you justify the massacre there?" Richard asked.

"As I told you earlier, none of us were in our right minds when we arrived here. Shortly before we entered that town we met some sort of law enforcement officials, who were less than cordial. They yelled at us, threatened, and shot at us. We responded in kindness, walking away and leaving them to their own devices. Once we entered the town, the citizens seemed to be of the same ilk as the law enforcement officers. We observed that the people of this planet must be very barbaric, and needed our help to become more civilized. We had to protect ourselves from their assault."

The whole afternoon seemed surreal to Lois. Sitting at table listening to the man who had terrorized the whole world, trying to justify his actions. He would state one thing, and Lois or Richard would fire back another question, trying to uncover his agenda, to find the truth. After a couple hours of back and forth, they were informed that their time was up.

"Thank you, Ms. Lane, Mr. Kent. This was a very enlightening visit; I hope you feel the same."

"I can honesty say, General, I have learned a great deal from you today," Richard responded.

As they were escorted from the room, Richard gently took Lois's hand and squeezed it comfortingly. She was trembling uncontrollably. This meeting with Zod had shaken her to the core. Things he had said were troubling, especially things concerning Kal El.

"The warden wanted to speak with you both after your interview, but he was called away suddenly. Would you be able to meet with him tomorrow?" The guard who had been escorting them asked. Richard answered in the affirmative, noting it on his Blackberry.

Clark was waiting at the gate with the car. "I didn't think that it would be right for Superman to show up after you finished with your interview," Clark explained as they drove away. "How did it go?"

"Didn't you listen in?" Lois asked.

"I tried, but there is some sort of device that prevents any sound from escaping the prison. It is nothing I put in place, but it is there all the same. It's very strange; like a dead zone. You should check your voice recorders, make sure that they worked."

Lois and Richard both pulled out their recorders and turned them on. Thankfully, both devices worked, so whatever blocked the sound to the outside world had no effect inside.

"I'm hungry, what is there to eat in this place?" Lois grumbled.

"There's a truck stop just off the interstate," Clark said.

"Great, first I have to spend the afternoon with Zod — now you want to go to some greasy spoon. Just promise me you won't pick any fights with the locals today."

_Now why would Clark do something like that?_ The more time Richard spent with the two of them, the more he realized that there was a whole other secret life the two had shared. He wondered if he'd ever be that close with a woman.

Dinner was uneventful, though there was one boisterous trucker who seemed to shrink into the background as soon as he noticed Clark entering the restaurant. Richard ordered a double bacon cheeseburger, while Lois got a cob salad, and Clark finally decided on chicken fried steak. The food was good, and the conversation relaxed. It was nice to be able to wind down after the last couple weeks.

Just as they were finishing up with their meal, Lois stuck her hand out. "Keys."

Richard noticed Clark standing up, a concerned look on his face. Clark set the keys on the table.

"I won't be long," he said then disappeared out the door. Richard looked at Lois curiously.

"When you've been around Clark for as long as I have, you learn to see the signs. It's what tipped me off about him. Always disappearing without a sound; leaving me stranded at the most inopportune moments."

Richard nodded slightly at her response, then motioned to the waitress for their check.

"I guess he figures you can take care of yourself," Richard said.

"I sure as hell can."

"That's why we both love you," he said softly.

**AN II: The next chapter is ready and waiting. All I need is some encouragement to upload it. Please review.**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: I was going to wait a few days until I uploaded this, but I got so many wonderful reviews on the last chapter that I just had to put it up.**

"Son of Kal El."

Jason shot up in his bed. Looking around his room, he saw he was alone. "Son of Kal El," the voice said again. "I do not wish to scare you.

"There is much for you to learn, much for you to know, so that you may take your rightful place in this world. You are still young, but not too young to learn of your father's world, your heritage. I have come to teach you."

Jason looked around again, and still saw nothing, but the voice continued talking to him. Tonight there was no buzzing sound, but the voice was still scary. He cried out. Jumping from his bed, he ran to his window and threw it open. Maybe Superman would hear him. Didn't he tell him that he was always listening for him?

"Daddy!" he cried out as Superman swooped down from the clouds. Superman enveloped his son in a protective hug, and sped back above the clouds with him safely in his arms. Jason buried his head in his father's chest. He knew that he was safe from the voice here.

"Did you hear it again?" Clark asked Jason as he flew towards the motel where he was staying with Lois and Richard. Jason nodded his head. Clark smiled as his son snuggled against him. Never in his life had he felt as content as he did at this moment, flying with his son.

As soon as Lois was seated on the passenger side of the rental car, she took her cell phone out of her purse. Looking at the phone she swore, "Damn hick towns, there's no cell service here." She slammed her phone onto the console between the seats.

"The interstate is that way, Richard," Lois said, pointing in the opposite direction that Richard had turned.

"No, Lois, I'm pretty sure it's this way," he answered.

Lois wasn't in the mood to get into an argument with Richard, so she let him drive. Picking up her phone, she saw that she still had no service. Worse yet, she saw that her battery was almost dead.

"Dammit!" she shouted.

Richard looked over at her momentarily taking his eyes off the road.

"Watch out, Richard!" Lois cried out as she noticed a large pothole in the center of the road. "Where are we now, exactly?" She asked.

"I'm not sure," Richard answered

"Maybe we found 'Bob's Road,'" Lois said. "I told you that the interstate was the other direction," Lois was fighting to keep the frustration out of her voice.

"Isn't there a map or something in the glove box?" Lois asked a few minutes later. All she wanted to do was get back to their motel so that she could call home and check in with Jason. She was sure that was where Clark had taken off to, the look on his face was different from the one he normally had when he was needed. She started wondering if somehow Zod was behind the voice her son had heard the other night.

It was almost ten when Richard and Lois finally arrived back at their motel. As they entered their room, they were surprised to find Superman sitting in one of the chairs with a sleeping Jason in his arms.

"He heard the voice again," Clark said.

Lois walked over to the two, and gently took Jason from his father's arms. Jason just snuggled into his mother and went right back to sleep.

"Mom knows he's with us. I'll take him back in the morning," Clark said as he watched Lois gently tuck their son into the bed. As he watched her he realized how much the women in his life had sacrificed for him. Lara, his birth mother, had lovingly placed him into his lifeboat, rocketing him off to a world of which she knew very little. Martha Kent, the woman who raised him, protecting his secret, to the point she was kept away from what should have been his deathbed. And Lois, the woman he gave up everything for, just to have it ripped away from them.

"What's going on? What is this voice he keeps hearing, Kal El?" Lois asked.

"I'm not sure, but I have some idea about it. I need to go back to your place and check out his room," Clark responded, Lois' voice breaking into his thoughts.

Lois looked as if she wanted to say something else to Clark, but nodded her head instead. Clark left the worried mother behind as he left to search his son's bedroom for some sort of transmitting device. He had a theory, but he had no idea on how a Kryptonian crystal could have ended up in Jason's room.

"I don't know if I will ever get used to that," Richard said as he ran his hand through his hair.

"Get used to what?" Lois asked.

"You and him. You just talking to him like he's, um, he's –" Richard said.

"One of us? Richard, he is just like one of us!" Lois answered.

"But he's Superman! It was just odd seeing him sitting there holding Jason, listening to you speak with him, the way you two interact," Richard defended.

Lois looked over at Jason as she heard him start to stir. Quietly she walked over to Richard and placed two fingers over his lips. Looking up into his eyes she could see the pain he was feeling. She hadn't realized before how much stress Richard was under.

"Yes Richard, he is Superman. But he is also my friend," Lois said, trying to comfort her fiancée.

"But," Richard shot back, "he's more than a friend, isn't he?"

Lois was starting to get angry now. Didn't they have this conversation already? Didn't she explain how things were?

"Richard, it doesn't matter what happened before. Kal El made a choice; I made a choice. We can't be together, no matter how much we may have wanted it; I'm with you now, he respects that."

Richard wrapped his arms around Lois, and put his forehead against hers. "But, are you with me because you can't be with him?" He asked quietly, as he let his arms drop to his side.

"I'm tired. You take the bed, with Jason, I'll sleep in the recliner," Richard said.

Clark returned to find Lois sitting on his bed, furiously typing away on her laptop.

"Hey," he said softly.

"Hey," she answered.

"What did the poor computer do to deserve that kind of punishment?" Clark asked, trying to lighten her mood.

Lois just looked up at him and shrugged as she continued typing. Typing up the interview with Zod was the only way she could keep from thinking about what Richard had said, and Clark knew it. He had heard their conversation, as he had been listening for Jason.

"Do you think that I'm with Richard because I can't be with you?" Lois finally asked.

"Does it matter what I think? Or what Richard thinks for that matter?" He asked back. "What do you think? Why are you with Richard?" He was curious himself about that. Jimmy did say that he thought that she was still in love with "You know who."

"He's a good man," She answered back.

"That's what you told me," Clark said, as he walked over to the bed and sat down next to Lois. Gently, he caressed her hair, drinking her in with his eyes. God he loved this woman. It pained him to see her like this. Since he had come back he only had seen glimpses of the spitfire she once was, it was like something inside her had broken. He wondered if his leaving was the cause.

"That doesn't answer the question, though. Why are you with Richard? Do you love him?" Clark asked her simply, the same way he would question a source. There was no pressure for the right answer. He just laid out the question. One only Lois could ultimately answer. He looked deeply into her eyes, trying to draw her out.

"Kal El," Lois finally said, looking away from him. "Zod told me that a long time ago Kryptonians were forbidden to leave their star system, that somehow they were bound to Krypton itself. Is that true?"

There she goes again. How does she go from one line of thinking to another just like that_? _Clark thought to himself. Standing up, he started pacing the room as he spoke.

"I remember Jor El saying something about that. There were some that were afraid of the power Kryptonians had outside of their solar system. They did something to the Kryptonian DNA matrix that would cause them to die if they left the influence of Rao. Somehow though, that has changed, otherwise I would not be here," He said, using his Superman voice.

"Nor would Zod," she said flatly. Something more than her relationship with Richard was bothering her, Clark noted.

"Do you think that is the reasoning behind the edict that you give up your powers for us to be together?" Lois asked, walking up to him, placing her hands on his chest.

Clark looked at Lois, amazed. How could she have put that together, when he had not? So that was where her thoughts were leading. He put his arms around her comfortingly, drawing her into his chest.

"Has Jason shown any other signs that he has my powers?" Clark asked. Now she had him wondering what had really gone on in the molecule chamber.

"Not until we were on Luthor's yacht," Lois answered.

"The piano?" Clark asked, pulling away. He sensed that she was holding something back.

Lois hesitated. Clark heard her heart rate rise, saw her skin flush. She was definitely hiding something.

"Jason threw a grand piano," Lois said.

When Jason first told him that he had thrown a piano, Clark assumed it was his little electric keyboard, not a full-fledged grand piano. Clark's eyes grew wide at the ramifications. "Luthor knows?"

Lois nodded. "I think Zod knows as well," She handed Clark her voice recorder and pushed play:

"Thank you, Ms. Lane, Mr. Kent. This was a very enlightening visit, I hope you feel the same."

"I can honesty say, General, I have learned a great deal from you today," Richard responded.

"I hope that your son is doing well, Ms. Lane. I saw a picture of the two of you from your visit with Kal El in the hospital. Please give my regards to the boy, such a handsome child. He has such beautiful eyes."


	9. Chapter 9

I'm back! I hope you enjoy this next chapter. I'm still trying to flush out the next few chapters, while getting into the busy time of year at work. Thanks again to Mak5258 for the beta.

- - - - -

Lois luxuriated in his embrace, his kisses falling gently upon her face. She snuggled deeper into the satiny folds of the sheets, reveling in his love. She hoped that this moment would never end; she was where she belonged, in the arms of her beloved Kal El.

Lois woke with a start, to find that she really was back in Kal El's bed, in the Fortress. She looked around, taking in the breathtaking beauty that surrounded her. Looking towards the doorway, she watched as Kal El entered the room, wearing the same white outfit he wore after he gave up his powers, a steaming cup in his hand. She gasped as the feeling of déjà vu overwhelmed her.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Kal El said, a smile lighting up his face.

Lois shook the cobwebs from her head, and inhaled deeply, "Is that for me?" she asked nodding towards the cup.

Kal El sat down on the bed, next to Lois, and handed her the cup. She noticed that it was the travel mug that Richard had picked up for her as a joke, with Grumpy Dwarf from Snow White painted on the side with the words "Wake up, Grumpy" arching around the picture. She smirked at him as she took the cup,

"Not many good days start with this cup," Lois said, as she finished downing her morning allotment of caffeine. Ever since Jason was born she had tried to limit her caffeine intake, tried to control her blood pressure in the event she should ever conceive another child. Though the current outlook on that was not too promising.

"How did we end up here, anyway?"

"You fell asleep in my room while I was listening to Zod's interview." Clark said.

"That doesn't explain how I ended up in your ice-palace."

Clark rolled his eyes. "When I was getting ready to fly Jason back to Metropolis, Perry called Richard."

"Richard, how did the interview go?" Perry asked anxiously. Something didn't quite sound right to Richard.

"I think it went fine. I don't think he realized I wasn't Clark," Richard said.

"Have you watched GNN this morning?" Perry asked, his voice getting more unnerved.

"It's five in the morning here, Perry. Your call woke me," Richard said, as he reached for the television remote, then stopped as he realized that Jason was still sleeping in the bed.

"What's going on Perry?" Richard asked, dreading that the answer would be on par with 9/11.

"Zod is being released today." Perry said.

Lois gasped as Clark explained the situation to her. GNN had been running the story all morning on how the Daily Planet had teamed up with rogue elements from the CIA to derail Zod's case.

"GNN has received evidence that Daily Planet Reporter Lois Lane, and Assistant Editor Richard White, who is actually a CIA plant, had interrogated the alleged tyrant, and alien refugee General Dru Zod of the Planet Krypton.

"Lois Lane who is well known as Superman's press agent, and has been rumored as being romantically linked the Kryptonian. Lane attempted to pass off White as her long time partner Clark Kent, with whom General Zod had originally requested to conduct an interview. Mr. Kent, who has been on an extended leave of absence, and has just recently returned to the Daily Planet staff, has been unavailable for comment."

"I can't believe they would do such a thing," Lois exclaimed,

"Those f…," Lois stopped as Jason came running into the bed chamber.

"Mommy!" he shouted as he launched himself at the bed and into his mother's arms.

"Clark?" Lois looked at her partner, her eyebrow raised.

"After Perry called Richard, my mom called me. Early this morning someone from CSD paid a call to your house. She demanded to speak privately with Jason. It seems someone reported that you took Jason onboard Luthor's yacht.

"Mom told them that he was with us," Clark said.

"I didn't think I should take Jason back to Metropolis, and with what is going on with Zod, I didn't want to risk leading anyone to Smallville, so I brought us here."

"Where's Richard?" Lois asked.

"He stayed behind in Granville, so he could meet with the warden. The warden didn't meet with you last night because he was called to DC about Zod's release.

"Lois, the warden never made it there, his car was found in a ravine, both he and the driver were dead. Richard is launching his own investigation. Something big is going on," Clark said.

Lois looked at hers and Clark's son. He was so full of wonder, looking around the crystal fortress. He was so innocent, who would want to pull him into the middle of some political intrigue?

"So what **is** going on with Zod?" Lois asked, finally setting Jason down onto the floor.

Clark looked over at Lois and mouthed; "wait," then walked over to Jason. Kneeling down in front of him, "There is somebody I'd like for you to meet, okay?"

"Okay," Jason said shyly.

Clark took Jason by the hand and led him to the large main chamber of the Fortress. Stepping up onto the dais, he moved a large crystal from one slot to another. As light filled the room, Jor El's image appeared before them.

"We have guests. Father, I would like to introduce you to Lois Lane, and her son Jason," Clark said.

"Welcome, Lois Lane, welcome Jason, Son of Kal El. I am Jor El; Kal El's father, your grandfather," Jor El said. Jason's eyes went wide.

"I did not intend to frighten you, my grandson. I apologize if I did." Jor El said humbly.

"Seems like everyone knew about Jason before I did," Clark mumbled. "How did you come to know, Father?"

"After you restored the Sun Crystals to the fortress's controls, the system began monitoring the planet again, watching for alien life-forms. There should have been only four, as that is all that is logged into my memory. When I found mixed Kryptonian DNA I sent a probe to scan it. To my delight, I discovered that you had fathered a son."

Suddenly there was a bright light, and the image of a beautiful woman appeared next to Jor El.

"Hello, Jason," the woman said, "I am your grandmother, Lara. I am so happy to finally be able to meet you."

Jason looked up to his father, confused, "Are they ghosts?"

"Jason," Lara said gently, "our physical bodies died a long time ago. But on Krypton we were able to place what humans would call our soul, into a storage vessel, so that all would not be lost.

"Before we sent your father to this world, we placed our souls into a crystal that was carried with him in his ship. When it was time, we led him to this place to build this Fortress of Solitude, so that we could teach him. Inside these crystal walls, your grandfather and I live on. We aren't really ghosts, but we aren't people, either."

While Kal El and Jason were busy with the holographic images of his parents, Lois began wandering about the Fortress, reliving the time she spent here. This would always be a special place for her; the place where she learned about the man she loved. Where she grew to love him so much more than she had ever known was possible. This is where they became one, where their son was conceived. And this is where it all ended, with the defeat of Zod.

She walked back to the bedchamber. As she slowly walked around the bed she allowed her hand to rub across the bedding. She had never felt anything like it on Earth, and wondered if it was some sort of Kryptonian fabric.

Sitting down on the bed, she closed her eyes and allowed herself to remember how it felt to have his arms encircle her, his lips exploring her body, drinking her in. How she relished his gentle lovemaking. He was never rough, or over-anxious. Instead he followed her lead, learning more about her that day, than in all the time that they had spent together before or since.

"Lois," a gentle voice called out to her, "I wish to speak with you," Lara said.

Startled, Lois looked toward the sound of the voice, "I thought that you could only appear out there." Lois said, pointing towards the main chamber.

"We can appear in any of the chambers, that make up this place" Lara said, "Can we speak? I know you have many questions that need to be answered, as do I."

Lois was dumbfounded. She had never even hoped to speak with either of Clark's birth parents. Let alone have some of her concerns of raising a half-Kryptonian child answered.

"When my son first brought you to us, he told us that he loved you and wanted to spend his life with you. But soon after he defeated Zod, he left you, and this world. Why is that? Did you not love him, as he did you?"

Lois thought about her answer, "It was complicated. It still is. I loved him, God how much I loved him. All I thought about was him, what it would be like to be with him, to know all his secrets, to know him. And I got that chance. I got to know him, be with him. We hoped to have a life together.

"But, **you** told him that the only way we could be together was for him to give up his powers. When they were restored, we knew that we would have to give up our dreams, give up each other.

"Why? Why can't we just be together?" Lois cried, the anguish she had held in check for so many years finally spilling out. Her body shook as she sobbed uncontrollably.

Lara looked on helplessly, "Daughter, there is no reason why you and Kal El cannot be together. Kal El's powers were taken from him for a time so that he could learn what it means to be truly human, to see if he truly loved you. On Krypton, the joining of two souls is meant to be for life."

Lois took a deep breath and looked up at the image of Kal El's mother, and saw her smiling gently. "Until death do us part," she said, "it's meant to be that way here as well, but it doesn't usually work out that way."

"Do you still wish to be with Kal El?" Lara asked.

"There are still a lot of hurdles for us to clear, before we can have our 'happily ever after.'"

"The man you call Richard?"

That surprised Lois, "How did you know about Richard?" she asked.

"My grandson speaks fondly of his human father, almost as fondly as my son speaks of his own human father. These men are important in their lives. Your son will need his human father; to help him deal with the issues his humanity will bring him. _He_ will be the one who will show him how to be human, as you are the one to teach him how to love." Lara's image seemed to fade a bit.

"I wish that I could have been the one who raised my son to manhood. You and Kal El have a great blessing: the chance to raise your child, together." Lara's image faded completely as finished speaking.

As Kal El quietly entered the bedchamber, he observed a very subdued Lois. He stood there, enchanted by her beauty, wondering how he had ever let her go. She was the fire that burned to his very being, and he was a fool, forever standing in the background, staring at her, allowing her to consume him with her very presence.

He was worried about her. It was not normal for Lois to sit so silently, so still. But he also knew that she would soon be a blazing inferno once again. Pensively he approached her.

"Do you think we'll ever get to have our happily ever after?" She asked.

He looked at her and smiled sadly, "Only if we are willing to do whatever it takes to get there," he answered.

"What is going on with Zod, Clark?"

Clark sat down next to her, taking her hands to stop her from picking at her nails, the cuticles already bleeding from her constant attack.

"He is meeting with the State Department later this week. They are discussing who should the control of the Fortress. They want me to turn any evidence I have against him over to them, so that they can decide who gets control."

"You have got to be kidding me," Lois said.

"We aren't going to let them get control of it. I've already removed Jor El and Lara's crystals from the matrix. I'm currently making a very limited copy of the AI, more limited than what I had left when I went to Krypton. The library has also been removed. It is all going to be placed somewhere safe," Clark explained.

"But what about CSD and Jason?" Lois asked.

"There is only one reason why CSD would be interested in him at this moment. Someone wants to know his paternity. All they will be able to prove at this point is that he is Clark Kent's son. They'll find nothing unusual."

"Nothing unusual? How can you say that, Clark?" Lois asked.

"Trust me," was all he said.

-----------

Please review!


	10. Chapter 10

"There is only one reason why CSD would be interested in him at this moment. Someone wants to know his paternity. All they will be able to prove at this point is that he is Clark Kent's son. They'll find nothing unusual."

"Nothing unusual? How can you say that, Clark?" Lois asked.

"Trust me," was all he said.

"Trust you? I do trust you, Clark," Lois replied. "I just don't trust them." Lois started to shiver; she noticed that it was starting to get cold inside the fortress.

"It'll be okay, Lois. But we need to go. I've powered everything down here. Mom and Jason are waiting for us."

"Go? Go where?" Lois asked.

"I need to put the crystals someplace safe, and then we are going back to the farm. Mom thinks it is still safe, and I would have to agree. Richard will meet us there," Clark explained.

"Wait, I thought your mom was in Metropolis." Lois was puzzled. Things were happening way too fast for her at the moment.

"I brought her here while you were speaking with Lara. It's her first trip here and even though she finds it fascinating, she's ready to go home."

"I bet," Lois said.

Clark led Lois out to the main chamber, and then walked over to the controls. After moving the last crystal in the panel, he joined the others. They were enveloped within a bright light. Blinking, Lois realized that they were no longer in the fortress, but where they were was a mystery.

As Clark placed his hand on one of the walls, a small opening appeared. He placed the crystals from the fortress in the opening then allowed it to close. Lois noticed that he had kept one crystal out. That crystal he placed in a miniature version of the console that controlled the fortress. The same light that engulfed them at the fortress now surrounded Jason and Martha, and then disappeared along with them. Lois gave Clark a confused look, "Where did they go?"

"I sent them ahead to the farm. We really need to talk, Lois, and I don't know when we'll get another chance."

Lois nodded her head in agreement, and then sat down on what appeared to be a cot. She took in her surroundings noting the starkness. The crystalline structure was similar to that of the fortress, but the walls were smooth, almost polished-looking. It almost felt like they were inside of some sort of crystal sphere.

"Where are we, Clark?" she asked, bewilderment in her voice.

Clark looked at her proudly. She was always the reporter, always looking for the next story.

"This is the ship I built for my journey to Krypton. Where you are sitting is where I slept in stasis. I dreamt about you the entire trip, Lois. I dreamt about us. When I got to Krypton, learned that it's destruction was complete, that it was littered with Kryptonite, all I could think to do was to return to the only home I knew, and hope that it, that you, would still be there.

"After Zod, when I took, or should I say tried to take, your memories, I felt more alone than I had ever felt before. When I heard reports of the sighting of Krypton I decided I had to go. I wanted to go someplace that I belonged."

Lois stood up and walked over to Clark. Tenderly she placed her hand on his cheek, and drew his eyes to hers. "You silly man, you belong here, on Earth, with me, with your son. How could you ever doubt that?"

Clark broke out in a huge smile, as he gathered Lois in his arms. Tenderly, he kissed her, as if it were the first time. When he ended the kiss, he looked at the woman in his arms, the love he felt for her once again flooded his being.

"I love you, Lois. I want to spend the rest of our lives loving you, being with you. That has never changed, never will change," Clark declared, as he rested his forehead against hers.

"I never stopped loving you either, Clark."

"What about Richard?" Clark asked, releasing Lois from his embrace.

Lois took a deep breath and turned away from Clark. How she ended up in such complicated relationships was a mystery to her. What had gone on between her and Richard was by no means the stuff romance novels were written of, but it still happened.

"Jason needed a father, and Richard was available. He had been assigned to be my 'babysitter' after you left. Perry was worried that I would end up doing something stupid and get in over my head, so he called in the big guns and got his nephew assigned to me.

"I resented it at first, but Richard really is a good man. He is very much like you, without the superpowers, of course. It was easy to convince myself, and everyone else, that I was in love with him. I guess, in a way, I do love him, but not enough to marry him, why else would we have been engaged for so long? I never could bring myself to set a date. I told myself that living with him, being engaged to him was enough, had to be enough. Marrying anyone other than you just felt wrong."

Clark smiled, and wrapped his arms around her again. "Are you sure?"

She snuggled against his chest and nodded "Uh huh."

"You aren't angry with me for leaving you alone and pregnant?" Clark asked, still not sure if she was raging against him inside. She looked up at him and gave him a devious smile.

"Oh, I was furious with you. I would have come after you with a Kryptonite shiv myself, if Luthor hadn't done it first. Five years, Clark. Five long years! I grew up, changed. Becoming a mother does that to a woman. I still have a temper, and a very long memory. But I also have learned that the world doesn't revolve around Lois Lane, and neither do you, no matter how much I would like it.

"Part of loving someone is letting them be who they are, who they were created to be. You are Clark Kent, my partner, my best friend. You are also Superman, the unattainable hero. But you are also the man I love, the father of my child, the one who gave up everything he is to be with me. You have almost died protecting this world, when all we have ever done is expect you to clean up our messes and then berate you when you fail. We don't even show you any gratitude for what you have done, what you do every day. I can't stay angry with you, I never could," she snuggled into his arms enjoying the warmth and safety she felt there.

Backing away, she almost regretted having to move on with their discussion, but she knew they had to finish it.

"Back at the fortress you said something about doing what had to be done, you also mentioned that there wouldn't be anything abnormal about Jason's DNA. What do you mean? And how will it help us against Zod?"

Clark couldn't help but smile as Lois once again switched back to reporter mode. She was nothing if not tenacious. He just didn't want to broach the subject of Zod and his plottings at the moment; he was enjoying holding her too much to stir that hornet's nest. But they really needed to get their facts together if they were going to defeat Zod.

Kal El had learned about Kryptonian history, his heritage, from the vast library that his father had sent with him. The first time he had gone up against Zod he had the benefit of the knowledge of both Earth and Krypton, along with a rudimentary knowledge of Zod's character. This time it was going to be a more intellectual battle. Zod was more than a warrior: he was a tactician. He studied his enemies, learned of their strengths and weaknesses. He looked beyond the physical boundaries, and at the sociological areas. Divide and conquer was his method. He did it on Krypton; he'll do it again on Earth.

Clark knew what he was about to tell Lois had the possibility of infuriating her past anything he had experienced before. She was a fiercely independent woman who despised the idea of any form of subjugation. But she had to understand their opponent. They had to stand together, no matter what befell them; otherwise Zod will have already won.

"Kryptonian society was very traditional. Marriage was for life. When a man chose a woman for his wife, his family would give her gifts, usually something of great value to the family. When I gave up my powers and brought you to my bed, you became my wife. I gave up myself to be part of you. You accepted my gift and gave me a son."

Lois looked at Clark puzzled. "We're married?"

"In the eyes of Jor El and Lara, and Kryptonian tradition, we are joined, though Zod doesn't know that. He thinks that you are my – uh, concubine." Kal El blushed as he admitted this fact to Lois.

"CONCUBINE? What kind of planet are you from? I thought Krypton was an advanced society! They actually had concubines there? What, were the women to stay at home barefoot and pregnant?"

"Um, actually, Lois, on Krypton the women didn't even carry their babies. They were grown, in a birthing matrix," Clark explained nervously, reaching to adjust his non-existent glasses.

"So I'm married, to a test tube baby. So tell me, Kal El, are Jor El and Lara really even your parents, or were you just a bunch of goo they joined together?" Lois started pacing around the capsule like a caged animal.

"I know that this is a lot for you to deal with at the moment, but we have a lot to contend with, and you have to understand where Zod is coming from," Clark said, trying to calm her down.

"I am calm, Clark. This is me – calm. See," Lois said with the biggest, fakest grin she could muster plastered on her face. Slumping down on the cot, she looked up at Clark while trying to hold back tears. "Okay, so I'm not calm. Explain to me just what is going on? Why does Zod think I'm your concubine? What does that have to do with Jason's paternity? And why does any of this matter?"

Clark smirked at Lois, "Are you sure you are ready for this?" Lois nodded her head.

"Okay, why does Zod think of you…how he does?" Clark hesitated, not wanting to say the word again. "Because there is no evidence to the contrary, Lois. There is no marriage contract between our houses, no marriage license on file. We've never even publicly acknowledged our relationship, either between Lois and Superman or Lois and Clark. So what else would he think? He knows that Jason is my son; that is obvious by some of his comments. He knows that after I left you hooked up with Richard and are engaged to him, but haven't married him either."

"Gah, I must look like a first class harlot to him." Lois interjected.

"In Zod's mind you and Jason are nothing more than refuse, just like the rest of humanity. But, unfortunately for him, Jason is my son, my heir; and you, Lois, are my wife. He is to respect both of you.

"But to his thinking, Jason can be taken from us and raised as his own. If I don't publicly claim Jason as my son and you as my wife, he will try to prove that Jason is Superman's illegitimate son and that you are unfit to raise him. Then he'll claim some obscure Kryptonian tradition to take Jason and train him for his own purposes. He'll use whatever means necessary to meet his ultimate goal, the total humiliation of the House of El. And then the total domination of Earth, as well," Clark finished.

"So I guess you are saying that the only way to protect us from Zod is to prove once and for all that Clark Kent is Jason's biological father, and that you and I are legally wed," Lois added, not quite sure how they were going to pull it all off.

"You know, Kent, I'm not going to play the sweet little housewife, letting her big strong husband fight the battles, while sitting at home popping out babies and weaving tapestries," Lois said coyly.

"I wouldn't expect it." Clark answered lovingly.

It was late afternoon when Lois and Clark finally entered the Kent home. The aroma of Martha's cooking filled the air, fresh herbs peppered the countertop as Martha prepared them for drying, preferring to grow her own over purchasing dried from the grocer.

While Martha was in the kitchen, Richard was busy keeping Jason occupied, neither adult wanting to turn on the TV and expose the boy to the media circus that was currently in play. Perry had called Richard frequently to give updates on the current situation in Metropolis, as concern mounted as to Superman's silence on Zod's allegations, as well as his absence from the public eye. Rumor had it that he had not been seen since Zod was released from prison.

The publisher was also on the rampage over the whole Lois, Clark, and Richard fiasco, and was demanding that they be put on suspension, not quite wanting to break up the paper's most famous writing team again. Richard had argued that his primary job was not that of the editor of the International section, but was in fact protecting one Lois Lane. And that was a job he took very seriously, considering the person he would have had to answer to if anything had happened to her in his absence.

---------------

General Zod strolled through the private garden that was adjacent to his luxury penthouse in the Hotel Metropolitan. His body thrummed as it absorbed energy from the yellow sun. He had missed the feeling of power he got from this sun. It was like a drug, taking control of his very thoughts. Walking about, breathing the air of freedom was exhilarating. From this lofty height he could look down at the piddling humans that would become his slaves.

Ah, the human mind, so easily manipulated. All one had to do was present it with an agenda, get it so focused on one item no other facts can get through. So simple, a plan, even the great Superman fell for it. Who else, but Zod could have led astronomers to turn their telescopes to the place in space that was once occupied by Krypton. He ordered the scan during his short regime. Once it was located, an astronomer who was sympathetic to him wrote up the article that was published and ultimately led Kal El to leave in search of his home world.

Ursa's voice saying, "He cares," rang through his ears even to this day. Once Zod realized that he had been tricked, he started planning his revenge. If Kal El cared for these weak, ignorant humans, how much more would he care for his own people. Would he leave this world to try and help the survivors of his own? And if he left, would he protect the fortress, and the knowledge it held, or would he take the crystals with him, thinking he might never return. His questions were answered the day the world's media started asking the question "Where Is He?"

It didn't take much to get that simpering Luthor to start grasping for the 'hidden knowledge' of the fortress. All he had to do was convince him that the mysteries of the universe were locked in the simple science of crystals, and he had to only unlock them to have all that he looked for.

The politicians were the easiest to manipulate of them all. And now that he was once again free, he can begin the next stage of his siege against the House of El; he would force Kal El to reveal himself, and his illegitimate son to the world, and bring them both under his subjugation. Zod smiled to himself as he thought about the final defeat of Jor El and his heirs.


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: Sorry it's been a while since I've posted. Real life has been imposing itself in my writing time. I hope that you all like this chapter, as I am still trying to build on my characters. Things will be starting to pick up in a couple chapters. **

**disclaimer: I don't own any rights to Superman, or the other characters, just my own.**

Chapter 11

The same light that engulfed them at the fortress now surrounded Jason and Martha, and then disappeared, along with them. Jason blinked as his eyes adjusted to the darkness that he now found himself in.

"Where are we, Gramma?" He asked.

It took Martha a moment to get her bearings. As her eyes adjusted to the faint light coming through an trapdoor above them, she realized just where they were, "Well, we are in the cellar of my barn, it seems," she answered.

Jason looked around him. He saw stacks of newspapers, a cupboard, and then he spotted a large object covered with a tarp. Running over to it he pulled the covering off to reveal a small spaceship.

"That was with your dad when we found him." Martha explained to her grandson, "It was one of the happiest days of my life, the day he came to us."

Jason looked the spaceship that had carried his father across the galaxy, not able to comprehend the distance or time that he had traveled. He could not resist running his hands across the surface of the device that had carried his father so far.

"Was he scared?" Jason asked, looking to his grandmother.

"Well, he seemed happy enough when we found him," Martha replied.

"I bet he was scared. I'd be scared if I had to go away from mommy and daddy. But he's Superman so maybe he wasn't scared," Jason postulated.

Martha chuckled at her grandson's reasoning.

"He's Superman, now. But then he was just a little boy. He was younger than you are now."

Martha walked over to a storage cupboard, opened the doors and pulled out three very colorful blankets, "These were in the ship with him. He slept with them his first couple years with us. He didn't want any other blankets, just these. When he got bigger he finally decided he wanted some different blankets. Clark can be quite stubborn."

"Daddy says that about mommy."

Martha ruffled the boy's hair and smiled at him.

"How about we head out of here and get us something to eat," she said realizing that it was getting late in the day, and they hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast. Then she started wondering where Lois and Clark were, why they didn't come through with them.

"Mommy and Clark will come later," Jason said, as if he read her mind.

As Jason and Martha approached the house, Jason heard a car heading down the drive to the farm. "Someone is coming, Gramma," he stated.

Martha looked up and saw a car she didn't recognize driving towards them. Jason, seeing Richard behind the wheel, started jumping up and down in excitement.

"It's my daddy!" he shouted, running to the car as it came to a stop near the house.

Richard stepped out of the car just in time to catch his son in his arms. "Hey there, Munchkin! I missed you."

Jason wrapped his arms around his daddy, being careful not to squeeze too hard, as his Daddy wasn't as strong as his Father. "I missed you too, Daddy."

"Gramma was just going to get us something to eat, are you hungry too?" Jason asked.

"Starved," Richard answered looking to the older woman who had just caught up to them, "Where are Lois and Clark?"

"I guess they stayed behind. They had some things they needed to talk about without Jason around." Martha said quickly.

"I'll bet," Richard responded, a little piqued, he was starting to feel a little out of the loop, and he didn't like the feeling.

"Let's go and get some food in our bellies. Life always looks better on a full stomach," Martha said, as she walked to the old farmhouse.

Richard noticed that though the house was in need of paint, it was still in very good condition, no sign of rot in any of the boards, not even on the porch. He looked over to the barn and saw that there were signs of recent repairs; some of the boards had just been replaced, and it looked as though the roof had had some work done to it as well. The yard around the farmhouse was dusty, and if the clouds above made good on their threats, was soon to be a muddy mess.

Martha busied herself making lunch for the three of them, as Richard watched Jason run around the yard chasing a dog. The dog, it seemed, liked to play fetch, only once he got the ball he wouldn't give it up. So Jason would chase him around the yard until the dog would finally give it up, then Jason would throw it, and the game would continue. Around and around they ran until both the boy and the dog were exhausted.

Just as they collapsed into a heap on the porch, Martha called them in for lunch. They sat down to a spread of cold cuts, deviled eggs, canned peaches, and carrot sticks.

"There are chocolate chip cookies for dessert, when you finish your lunch, Jason." Martha promised.

Jason's eyes got wide as he looked at all the food on the table. It looked like a Labor Day picnic.

"Can I make my own sandwich, Daddy?" The little boy asked.

Richard looked at his son, then at the food, not knowing what to say, and wondering how the boy's fragile system would handle some of the foods on the table.

"Clark was very sensitive to certain foods when he was younger too. I promise, everything on the table is something Jason can eat, even the lunchmeat is safe, if you are worried about nitrates and such.

"Besides, if something does make him ill, Clark can just take him up to get some sun."

Richard was amazed at this elderly woman. She opens her house to a total stranger, welcomes him as if he were some long lost relative, and speaks of her son, who happens to be an extra terrestrial being, as if he were a normal human, all while sitting at an antique table in a farmhouse that looks as if it could be on the historic registry. Richard felt as if he had stepped into the Twilight Zone.

"You will get used to it, to him, after a while. We all have our ways of dealing with the strangeness at first.

"Jonathan used to sit back and watch, as Clark would struggle with some new power as it emerged. Once he had figured out what Clark needed to do, he would jump with both feet to help him through whatever it was.

"When Clark was young, like Jason, Jonathan would try to make it a game, or he would find a way that Clark would feel that the power was useful, that he could use it to help others. He never wanted Clark to be afraid of who, or what he is."

"How do you cope?" Richard asked.

Martha smiled serenely, as she took a bite of her sandwich, "I pray."

* * *

Did you like it, or was it awful. Please review!


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: To Juniper617: And that is the heart of the matter.

And to all my U.S. readers: Happy Thanksgiving! And don't forget to review! Please….

After lunch was cleared away, Jason was ready to go out and play, but it had already begun to rain. Martha went into the upstairs closet and pulled out a square board and a jar of marbles: One of Jonathan and Clark's woodworking projects were to make a wooden game board. On one side it was a six-player Aggravation game, and the other side was Chinese checkers. Martha figured that would keep the boys occupied for a while.

Just as Jason was about to knock Richard's last marble back to start, Richard's cell phone rang.

"Richard White," he answered.

"Where the hell are you, Richard, and why aren't Lane and Kent answering their phones?"

"Um, Perry, I'm ah, in Kansas, at Kent's farm. I'm waiting for Lois and Clark to show up, they went somewhere with Superman earlier, and they told me to come here and wait after I was finished up at the prison. They must not have any cell service where they are. Actually, I'm surprised I have service here, in the middle of nowhere.

"What's up?" Richard finished.

"There's a feeding frenzy going on, and you all are the main dish, is what's happening. The media is having a field day. There are people trying to track down Jason, who wasn't at school today. CSD couldn't get his nanny to cooperate with them, and let them speak with him. When they came back to the house with a court order, they were gone. Heck, I didn't even know he had a nanny!" Perry said.

"We don't have a nanny, Perry. That was Clark's mom. Since she was in town, Lois arranged for her to watch Jason while we were on assignment. When Superman caught wind of what was going on, he brought them to the Kent farm in Smallville; he feels it isn't right to put a child in the middle of all this, and I agree," Richard replied. "As a matter of fact, Jason is cleaning my clock at marbles right now."

"Do you know the real reason why Lois didn't want Kent involved in the Zod interview?" Perry interrupted.

Richard looked over to Jason, who was placing marbles from the jar in a colorful pattern around the board, and sighed dejectedly. He knew that now that he was in the inner circle he was going to have to do whatever it took to protect not only Lois and Jason, but Clark's secret as well. The weight on his shoulders was even greater now than ever.

"Clark is a great writer, and an even better reporter. But Lois was nervous about having to face Zod with him. Be honest, Perry, Kent isn't known for being very protective, or aggressive. Come on, Lois told me he passed out the first time he got mugged. For being such a big guy, he's a pushover.

"What if Zod had decided to try and use her to get back at Superman, that this interview was some sort of trap. There would have been no way Kent could protect her. What's more, the guy seems to always disappear when there is trouble. Lois was just scared that he would pull a disappearing act in the middle of the interview. So I went instead."

"Besides, my main job, my most important job is to protect Lois Lane. That's why you hired me in the first place. I couldn't protect her very well if she was inside a maximum security prison, and I was outside, now could I?"

"And that's another story altogether: Where's Superman during all this chaos?" Perry interjected.

"Perry, I told you, he's with Lois and Kent."

"You know, Richard, they pulled this disappearing stunt when Zod first showed up. They were missing for days. Then Lois shows up with some story that Superman needed Kent to help him with some stunt to get Zod and his crew, and when it was all over and done with she couldn't remember a thing and Kent took off. It seems that when those three get mixed up with Zod all hell breaks loose. I swear if Kent takes off again, I won't ever bring him back."

"I don't think Kent is going to go anywhere again. I'm sure that they are working on some sort of plan, and when they have it all figured out, they'd let us know what they are up to. At least I hope they will." Richard paused as he noticed Lois and Clark enter the room. Something seemed to have changed between the two, but Richard didn't know what. There was just something about the way Lois looked at Clark, a look he wished that she would bestow on him.

"I need to go, Perry, they just got here. I hope that I'll have some answers for you in a little bit." Richard turned off his phone as Clark scooped Jason up.

"Perry is going crazy. CSD is looking for Jason, the secretary of state is looking for Superman, and the publisher wants all our hides," Richard said in greeting.

"Looks like everything is finally getting back to normal," Lois quipped, turning to Clark. "It should be dark enough in Metropolis for you and Jason to get in unobserved. I'll bring Richard up to speed, and then we'll meet you back at the house. You are sure this crystal thing will get us there in one piece, right?"

"It will get you there just fine, Lois. It isn't like the transporters in the movies, you are moved inter-dimensionally. You stay in one piece," Clark said and then left with Jason.

"Would you like something to eat, Dear?" Martha asked as she entered the living room, unfazed by the sudden departure of her son and grandson.

Lois realized then that she hadn't eaten at all today, and was starving. "That would be great, Mrs. Kent, uh, Martha," She smiled as she corrected herself, and followed the older woman back into the kitchen.

It looked like Martha had been cooking all day, though she assured Lois that most of what was out was stuff she prepared in advance, and kept in her freezer for the unexpected. She never really adjusted to cooking for just one.

"So, Lois," Richard started, as they sat down at the table, "where have you two been all day, and where did Superman just go with our son?"

"Richard," Lois sighed, putting her hand on his, "I just spent the day getting a crash course on Kryptonian society and customs. I need some time to get my head around it," she sighed as she shook her head in disbelief.

"Did you know that Kryptonian women didn't carry their babies in their womb? They had a machine carry it for them. Kal El's father modified that device to carry him here. But when it came to marriage, they were very traditional, they had some very old-fashioned customs."

"So?" Richard asked.

"So, when he took me to the fortress the first time, he was taking me home to meet the parents. Apparently, we did more than just meet the parents."

"I know that, Lois, Jason is proof of that," Richard retorted, obviously irritated at the reminder of how little he really did know about Lois and the hero's prior relationship.

Lois was trying desperately to find a way to tell Richard everything she had learned, about Krypton, about Zod, about what had to be done now. How could she tell him that everything they had worked to build together the last few years was for naught? How do you tell your fiancé that you are married to someone else?

"You know how that some cultures put a great value in selecting the proper wife for their sons?" Lois asked.

"You mean a 'Bride Price'?" Richard answered.

"Something like that," Lois said. She picked at the food on her plate, and glanced nervously over to Mrs. Kent and smiled meekly.

"Bride Price?" Martha asked. "What would they have to pay a bride price with?"

"On Krypton, the bride would accept a gift of the groom's most precious possession. Something that defined him," Lois answered

"According to Krytonian custom, Kal El and I are married. He paid the price his parents offered, and I, unknowingly, accepted it. That is all that we need to get Zod to leave us, leave Jason, alone."

Martha and Richard looked at each other, then over to Lois. Lois looked down so that they could not see the tears forming in her eyes. That he loved her so much that he was willing to pay such a high price for her still amazed her.

"What was his price, dear?" Martha asked quietly, gently placing her hand on top of Lois's.

"His powers," she said almost too quietly for them to hear, "he gave up his powers to be with me."

Both Martha and Richard were taken aback by that revelation. They both knew that Clark, that Superman, loved Lois Lane, and that she in turn loved him, but they had no idea he was willing to give up being Superman to be with Lois.

"But he has his powers now," Richard mentioned.

"After he gave up his powers, when we had to return to Metropolis, to our jobs at the _Planet_, Clark used a transport crystal to send us back to Niagara Falls. On the drive back to Metropolis, I got hungry, so we stopped at a diner for a bite."

Lois gave a bittersweet smile as she remembered the most heart-wrenching day of her life.

"Some jerk was trying to pick up on me, and then he challenged Clark to a fight. It was the only time I can remember Clark not backing down."

"But then, he didn't have to worry about revealing his powers," Martha interjected.

"No, he didn't," she answered. "It was a quick fight, a couple punches to the kidneys, one to the gut, and Clark was down. That was the only fight I have ever seen him lose," Lois shook her head sadly. She didn't want to think about the fight that occurred between Superman and Luthor; the one that ended with Superman nearly drowning, with a Kryptonite shard in his side.

"The lady who ran the diner turned on the TV to distract the customers from what happened, and that is when we first learned of Zod's arrival. Clark was furious with himself for giving up his powers. He knew that there was no way he could stop Zod without them, so he went back, and somehow got his powers returned to him."

Richard finally understood what Lois had been telling him the night he learned the truth about Clark Kent: "…once I knew who he was, all of him, I knew that I could never really have him. Superman is the hero the world needs, but because of that need, I can't have the man…."

He was pulled back to the current conversation as he heard Martha ask: "But, if Clark acknowledges Jason's paternity wouldn't that mean that he would have to reveal Jason to the world, reveal himself?"

"Where did he take Jason, Lois?" Richard asked forcefully as he realized that Martha had a point.

Richard noted the look of shock on Lois's face. He usually let her just go with whatever lead she was chasing, but this was different. This was his family, and he wouldn't do anything to put them in danger.

"Lois, where did Superman and Jason go?" Richard asked again.

"He took Jason to Star Labs," Lois answered.

"Why?"

"To run some tests," Lois answered cryptically.

"What kind of tests?" Richard asked. Richard noticed that she started to bite on her thumbnail. It was a nervous habit that she displayed when she knew that someone wasn't going to like her answer.

"P—" Lois started, as she was interrupted by the chirping of Richard's phone signaling a text. His heart sank as he looked at the screen, realizing that even more of his life was about to change.

"Lois," he started, hating what he was about to do, "I've been recalled. I have to leave, this afternoon; they're expecting me to report into Langley tomorrow morning. I'm sorry, Lois, I have to go." He tried to express his feelings to her, but could not find the words to tell her. It was funny, really; ironic, even. Here he had been the international editor of a major metropolitan newspaper, and he was at a loss for words.

Lois's countenance fell, and Richard could see her struggle to keep from breaking down. He realized that this was going to be very difficult for her, just as it was for him. Rising from his seat, he walked around the oak table to where Lois was seated and pulled her out of her chair and into a hug. Kissing the top of her head, he breathed in the smell of her, knowing that this would be the last time he would be able to hold her like this. He longed to do more than just hold her, but he knew that she was no longer his, not that she really ever was. He knew that this day would come; he just hoped that it wouldn't be so soon. Now that it was here, he wondered how he would be able to go on without the family he had grown to love, his family.

Richard knew that Lois understood that this was his duty. Having a father who was a general took care of that. But Jason was a different story, he was still just a little boy, and Richard was still his daddy, no matter what any paternity tests showed. Jason wouldn't understand why he had to leave, only that he was gone, and it broke Richard's heart to know he would be causing his son such pain.

They stood in the kitchen for what seemed an eternity, just holding each other, saying their last farewells, wishing that things had been different. As he stood the Kent's home he realized what that word meant, it wasn't a place, it was a feeling. It was the love he felt as he held Lois in his arms, the pride he felt as he watched Jason. He wondered what kind of man Jason would grow to be, if he would remember him, if he would be angry that his daddy left him. Somehow he didn't think that would happen, but he still wondered about it. He knew, that no matter what happened now, he had a home, a family, even if Lois was married to someone else.

When Lois stopped shaking, Richard let her go and walked to the door, fishing in his pocket for his keys, fingering the crystal key-bob from the agency.

As he walked down the stairs, he turned to Lois, looking at her with all the love he felt in his heart and said, "Good-bye, Lois."

The air outside was leaden with the smell of the rain that had fallen all afternoon. The yard around the house was a giant mud puddle. If the situation was different, she knew that Jason would be out slathering himself in it; becoming the Mud Monster from one of the movies he loved to watch with his dad – with Richard.

Lois stood on the porch as Richard walked around to the driver's side of the car, her heart in agony at watching him leave. She knew that she now had Clark, that they belonged together, but she had to lose another part of herself to get that. She closed her eyes to hold back the torrent of tears that threatened to spill once again. She didn't know how she was going to survive without Richard; he had become such a major part of her life.

"Richard," She said, "I –"

As Richard reached for the door, the car exploded, the heat of the blast engulfing everything in its proximity.

Lois slumped to the ground in anguish.


	13. Chapter 13

**AN**: Sorry I took so long in updating. I had a houseful over the holidays, along with all the end of year stuff for work. Big thanks and hugs to all of you who have reviewed my story so far. And the biggest thanks go to my Beta Mak5258. Happy New Year to you all!

Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to any off this mess, if I did, I don't think I'd claim it.

Perry sat in his office peering through the glass walls that enclosed it. It was getting late, the majority of his staff having already left for the day; those remaining were hurriedly trying to finish up whatever story they were working on before leaving. Days like today reminded Perry just how lonely he was, now that Alice was gone. He hated going back to their now empty house. The soul that had made it a home was absent since the day that Alice passed away. His boys were now grown, and had long left Metropolis, one moving to the west coast to run some yuppie coffee bar, the other in DC working for some senator as her communications director.

Sighing as he closed the folder containing a poorly written story, Perry wondered how long it had been since he really felt any contentment with his job. Glancing towards the section of the bullpen that housed Lois's desk, he realized that it had been at least five years. Ever since that day that she realized that _He _left without a word; the day Lois Lane lost her fire. But that was just the start, Perry realized, that wasn't all of it. He lost his contentment when he lost his Alice. She gave him the drive to be the best editor-in-chief the _Daily Planet_ ever had. She gave him the drive to come in every day and do everything in his power to make his people the best, to encourage them to be all that they could be, because she let him be who he was.

Looking around the hastily restored bullpen, Perry's thoughts pulled him deeper into himself. This was now more of his home than his house was, their house. As he was wallowing in his grief, he heard the familiar chime of the elevator. Looking up to see who was leaving, he noticed a very tall figure exiting the elevator. A very familiar figure, carrying a red bundle, that amazingly enough had what looked like some very messy brown locks on top. Perry watched as Clark Kent walked carefully into Richard's office placing his bundle on the couch. Clark tenderly brushed Jason's wild hair out of his face and Perry was shocked as he watched as the tall Mid-westerner bent down and lovingly kissed the top of the boy's head, just as he had done with his boys so many years ago.

It was as if a light went off in Perry's head as he watched the tender scene. How could he have missed that one? Was he that far off his game? Well, he wouldn't be the great Perry White if he let this go, now would he? So with that thought in mind, Perry walked over to his door and waited for Kent to leave Richard's office.

"KENT!" Perry bellowed as soon as Clark walked through the doorway and closed the door. Clark looked towards his boss, startled, and Perry smirked at how easily he did that. It always seemed that Kent was a million miles away; so intent on whatever it was he was doing he didn't notice what was going on around him. How he ever managed to get the stories he did just amazed Perry, but then considering; this was Clark Kent and as Lois put it "Clark is – Clark."

"What the blazes are you doing here? Didn't you get the message that you are on suspension? And why in the world do you have Lois's kid?" Perry asked.

Kent's eyes went wide as he struggled with what he was going to say, "I, um, I just stopped by to drop off Lois's notes from her interview. I thought that they might help, uh, with, you know, clearing the air." Clark stumbled.

Perry just looked at the reporter nodding for him to continue, "And–?"

"Superman asked for Jason and me to help him with something. We were in the area anyway," Clark explained.

"You and Jason, huh? My office, **NOW**!" Perry yelled. Realizing that this was probably something best spoken of in private, he led his second best reporter to his office where he hoped the man would feel free to explain himself.

After the door was closed Perry did something that he seldom did, he shut the blinds, so that they would have some sense of privacy. He knew that a few of the reporters that had stayed late resented the fact that this man could waltz back into a prime position after leaving so abruptly five years ago. Many of them hadn't even worked for the Planet when Kent did. Most of them, could barely write a coherent thought, and none of them went to the depths of fact checking, or of digging for the truth that this man did. When Clark Kent turned in a story, Perry knew that he could print it with minimal repercussion. He couldn't remember a story that Kent had a hand in that had to go legal, until now. The hacks left in the newsroom would be gossiping tomorrow about whatever they perceived to be talked about behind Perry's closed door. Let them, he decided, Kent had enough on his plate.

"So, Kent," Perry proceeded as he sat down in his overstuffed leather chair, leaning it back as far as possible without falling over, "How, exactly, are you and Jason helping Superman?"

Perry watched Kent's face as he schooled his expression. He noticed as Clark's hands gripped the armrests on the chair he sat in, and tried not to look too nervous. Perry knew that Kent didn't lie, but he definitely didn't tell the whole truth either, and when he had to tell a half-truth, he was always very uncomfortable with it. And this was obviously one of those times.

"Superman wants us to help him stop a rumor before it starts," Clark stated.

"What kind of rumor is Superman so worried about that he'd need the help of a five-year-old? Can't you just deal with it?" Jason really didn't need to be pulled into adult intrigue.

Clark looked at Perry with eyes so full of pain, that he could almost feel it.

"Do you remember when Zod took Lois hostage?" Clark asked.

"Some of it, the big brute that accompanied him knocked me out, most of it is a big jumble," Perry answered.

"Do you know why he took her?" Clark asked. Perry noticed that the pain in the man's eyes intensified, became closer to fear.

"It was something Luthor had told him, a way to get to Superman. Luthor pretty much implied that there was more than a story between them, Lois and Superman, I mean," Perry explained. He noticed the pain and fear becoming more evident in Clark's face, along with something else, was it anger?

"What has that to do with Jason helping to stop a rumor?" Perry asked again.

"Zod mentioned something about Jason's paternity to Lois after the interview. It started Superman thinking when he heard it."

"Lois let…." Perry started; of course she let him listen to the interview.

"So," Perry started again, "is he?"

Clark looked at Perry as he quietly answered, "Lois never slept with Superman."

Perry released the breath he had been holding; then he started wondering again. "So, why did he need you?"

Clark shifted in his seat, turning his head to look towards Richard's office. Perry wondered if he were trying to look at the boy. Clark cleared his throat, and then answered softly, "He's mine."

Perry was stunned. He had thought as much as he watched Clark earlier, but he never in his wildest dreams would have expected him to admit it, to running off and leaving a pregnant Lois. But then, this is Clark Kent, and he always did do what he thought was right. But Clark and Lois? And if she never slept with Superman….

"When, how?" Perry stumbled for words.

"Niagara Falls," was all Clark said, as he looked down at his left hand.

Perry was puzzled. Lois fought him tooth and nail about going on that story. "She didn't want to go, right?"

"Well, um, no not really, but then, she did. When we were there we really started to enjoy each other's company, got to know each other. Realized that we wanted a life together. So we, um, we eloped."

"YOU and LOIS? You two got married?" Perry couldn't believe what he was hearing. All the fights Lois and Richard had over the years about getting married, and she had already been married. No wonder she was so hesitant to tie the knot again. Perry looked at the picture of his wife, if Kent felt half as much about Lois as he had his Alice, wouldn't he have stayed? Perry looked at his reporter and saw that he had sunk lower into his chair, as if he were trying to hide.

Clark started again, "On our way back from the resort, Superman came to us for help. He looked terrible. Something had happened to him, he didn't have his powers. I had to get him to his fortress, while Lois came back to Metropolis to see what she could find out about Zod."

"Superman didn't have his powers when Zod got here? Is that what why he didn't do anything immediately?" Perry asked. Clark nodded.

"When his powers returned, he flew to Metropolis to lure Zod away from the city, while I worked on implementing his plan to strip them of their powers. When the three Kryptonians arrived at the fortress with Luthor and Lois we had to modify our plans. I was very upset that my wife was used as a hostage against Superman. I don't ever want that to happen again."

"Lois seemed off after that," Perry paused, "That's why you left. She told me you two did something impulsive, stupid. She said it was her fault." Clark shook his head.

"It wasn't her fault. I just couldn't standby and watch her be continually put into danger because of her relationship with Superman, and she was never going to let anyone else handle his stories. And just so you know, I didn't know she was expecting when I left. If I had known – " Clark responded.

"You'd have never left," Perry nodded in understanding. "Are you two still married?"

"Dunno, I, um, how do you ask something like that?" Clark shrugged.

Perry smiled as he realized how awkward Clark could be. He really was more like us than Perry realized or was Clark really human?

Perry was never really sure if his assumptions were correct, even when he gazed at Superman as he floated to the Earth with the globe on his shoulders, like a modern day Atlas. They looked the same; they showed up in Metropolis at the same time, both times. One of the first questions out of Kent's mouth upon his return to the bullpen: "_Does anyone know where Lois is_?" Superman's first save upon his return: Lois.

Some things, though, just didn't add up, like the fact that Clark said she never slept with Superman, but admitted to Jason being his.

"Do you love her?" Perry asked boldly.

"Does it really matter now? It was a long time ago, she moved on," Clark shrugged.

"That's what she tells everyone. If that's the truth, then why hasn't she gone ahead and divorced you and gotten married to Richard?" The truth finally dawned on poor Perry; Superman had gotten between her and Clark, and now that he was back, Perry had been pushing her to cover more Superman stories, along with partnering her up with Clark. She fought him, but not whole-heartedly. She wanted to be with _him_, but didn't want to hurt Richard.

Suddenly Clark stood up, his eyes almost glowing. He moved to the door faster than Perry had ever seen the man move, except when he was typing. Perry heard Jason yelling at someone to leave him alone, that he wasn't going. Who was trying to take Jason?

Perry quickly followed Clark out into the bullpen when he saw a tall blonde woman trying to carry Jason out of Richard's office. The boy definitely had his mother's determination, and Perry realized, his father's strength. Jason held tightly to the door jam to his daddy's office, fighting against the woman who was trying to remove him. As Clark reached the struggling child, he bellowed; "Who are you, and where do you think you are taking that boy?" Perry almost didn't recognize the voice as that of his reporter.

Clark took Jason from the woman, and glared at her warningly.

"My name is Jessica Powell, and I am with Child Services. We have received several complaints that this boy is brought into this office and left unattended. I'm removing him until a hearing is held, he is also scheduled for some court ordered testing," the woman answered, flashing a badge at the man who was confronting her.

Clark whispered something comforting into Jason's ear, holding him close.

"He isn't unattended, I'm here. I'm watching him. If anything, you were imprudent in waking him," Clark challenged.

"I'm sorry sir, but I am taking him with me. You can let his parents know that there will be a preliminary hearing tomorrow, after his tests. They can't continue to abandon their child on a whim."

"I hate to contradict you, ma'am, but you are making assumptions, again. Jason was not, as you said, abandoned on a whim. He has been with me. I had to stop by the office to drop some files off for Mr. White. Jason has had a very busy day today and had fallen asleep on our way here, so I put him down for a nap in that office. The intercoms between the two Mr. White's offices are fixed so that we can listen for him in case he wakes, or has trouble of any sort. From what I understand, it has been that way for years."

"Where is Ms. Lane?" Ms. Powell questioned, losing more ground with every question.

"She is on her way back from an out of town assignment. Jason and I had an appointment earlier," Clark answered.

"What type of court ordered tests?" Clark then added.

"I'm sorry, I can only speak to his parents about that," she replied curtly.

Clark looked at his frightened son, who was still holding him more tightly than a normal boy should. Shifting Jason in his arms so that he would be further from the offending person, Clark said firmly, "I'm his father."

"I'm sorry, Mr. – ah, Kent," she said as she looked at Clark's press badge that was hanging from a lanyard around his neck, "according to his file," she looked at a notepad in her hand, "his father is Richard White, not Clark Kent. So until I am informed otherwise, I cannot speak any further with you about this matter. If you continue to keep the child from me I will be forced to have you arrested for contempt."

"The papers you have are incomplete," a woman's voice came from the direction of the elevator bank. The two combatants turned towards the voice as a very shaky Lois Lane emerged from the elevator, "Clark Kent IS Jason's father. Richard adopted him, but Clark never gave up his rights."

Clark noticed that Lois's heart was racing, her eyes looked as if she had been crying, and her suit was covered in mud and ash. She was struggling to appear as the in control reporter she normally was, but was not convincing. Her walk was unstable. Clark rushed over to her.

Looking up into his earnest face, Lois smiled faintly, and whispered quietly, "You need to get back to the farm, there was an explosion, Richard's – dead" She grabbed a nearby chair and fell into it.

Clark placed Jason on his mother's lap as she broke down in tears. Turning towards the CSD officer he glared at her, "This family has been through enough turmoil the last few days. Leave us alone," he stated, his voice full of the authority usually reserved for his alter ego.

The CSD officer took a step back startled that this seemingly docile man could speak with such force. Nodding to the family she turned away, "We are not finished with this yet," she promised.

Helping Lois to her feet, Clark escorted her and Jason to the elevator. As the doors closed he quickly changed into his Superman suit, and swept his family out the escape hatch and into the night sky.


	14. Chapter 14

**_A/N Thanks to my beta, Mak5258. She does a great job at fixing the same grammar errors time and time again, darn comma splices, and quotes get me everytime. I should be able to start posting on a more regular schedule for the next couple months, as all the end of year stuff is done. Daughter's book is finished, so no more reading it instead of writing this (sadness.) I can't wait until it gets published, and she finishes the next one._**

**_Oh, I don't own Superman, DC Comics, or Time-Warner: but if they'd like to buy out a little hobby magazine…._**

As Clark flew his family back to Smallville, his stomach churned with the thought of what was happening. He wondered if they would be in this mess if he hadn't come back. He realized that they would be worse off if he hadn't come back, they'd be dead, along with the rest of the planet, if Jor El's calculations were correct.

As Smallville came into his view, he focused on his homestead, recognizing the sea of cornstalks that had been mowed down and were now waiting to be plowed under for the season. Upon seeing the charred remains of the SUV that had incinerated his coworker, his thoughts turned to Richard. He had hoped that Richard would have become a friend, that he would have been a good influence on Jason, just as Jonathon Kent had been for him. Instead, his life had ended; cut off, like the corn in the fields that lay before him.

He looked on as investigators scrambled around the yard looking for what clues they could before it got too dark. Black government vehicles were parked all around the yard; a large panel truck parked in front of the barn was the temporary command center. Four NSA officers were seated at monitors that were attached to the walls, watching video feeds of the investigators sifting through the wreckage of Richard's car. Clark listened to hear if they had found any clues as to who could have done this, though he had his own ideas.

Finding a secluded spot near the house, Clark slowly descended, giving Lois a chance to pull herself together before she had to face the detectives and their questions. Jason was eager to free himself from his father's arms and was off chasing Shelby before his parents could stop him. Lois put her hand on Clark's large chest and looked up at him, her eyes pleading.

"Please, just let him have a few minutes to have some fun, before we tell him."

"What happened?" he asked. He didn't really want to go there, but he needed to know.

"Richard got a call as we were finishing our lunch. He said that he had to leave; he had been recalled to Langley. When he went to open the car door, it exploded," Lois explained, tears glistened in her eyes. She turned away as Clark engulfed her in his arms, putting his chin on her head.

"It will be okay, sweetheart," he whispered in her ear. "Everything will be okay."

"It is not okay, nothing is going to be okay, okay? Richard's dead, CSD is trying to take Jason from me, and, if you don't remember, we are both suspended from our jobs until further notice. That means no paycheck, no unemployment, no money!" Lois screamed as she moved away from his embrace.

Clark stood straight as he noticed another small convoy of black SUVs arrive at the farm. There must be almost two-dozen government types on the farm already, how many more are needed to investigate the explosion? Then he noticed the head of the NSA exit one of the newly arrived vehicles.

"General," Superman addressed the newcomer as he approached them.

"Kal El," General Lane responded, taking the outstretched hand of the superhero.

"Daddy?" Lois turned and greeted her father quizzically. The general smiled at his oldest child and took her in his arms to comfort her.

"Where's –" he started to ask as a big yellow mass of fluff came barking at him, followed by a very muddy little boy. He released his daughter, and laughed at the approaching mud monster.

Clark looked at the mess that was his little boy, and couldn't help but smile with pride. _That's my boy, _he thought to himself_._

"Grampa! This is Gramma Martha's dog, Shelby. Isn't he cool!" Jason cried out enthusiastically. The General looked at his daughter puzzled. Lois and Clark both had very awkward looks on their faces.

"Isn't this your former partner's farm? The guy who ran out on you?" he asked, glancing at Jason.

Lois grimaced to the reference of Clark's disappearance, "Clark's mom lives here."

"So, where _is_ your partner?" General Lane asked, glancing over to Superman, then back to his daughter.

"He's gotta be somewhere around here," she responded. Superman smirked at the general, shrugging his shoulders.

"So, Superman," General Lane started, "I haven't heard from you since you returned. Did you find anything, anyone out there?" he asked, pointing towards the heavens.

Superman's countenance fell, "I'm sorry for not meeting with you, General. I've been pretty busy since I got back," Clark said, looking first at Lois, then to his son. "There was nothing. Krypton was completely destroyed, just as my father said."

The general nodded at Superman's answer. "So, the report, the message that Zod claimed to have received?"

"Fake, you had told me as much before I left."

"I'm very sorry, Kal El. You should never have gone, I never should have asked you to," the general consoled.

"We needed to know what was out there, General. I had to go, to see it for myself. I have always wondered if it was really gone, if Krypton was destroyed. I guess I had hoped that Jor El was wrong, that he was able to somehow save it," Kal El conceded, a faraway look came on his face.

He looked over to his son, "Jason, you need to go in and clean up. Your grandmother has supper waiting for you. Oh, and take off your muddy shoes before you walk on her clean floors. She's not a spring chicken anymore, and I don't want to have to mop up your mess," Superman instructed the little boy. Jason nodded and bounded up the porch to the mudroom, his father watching to confirm that he had listened, and took off his muddy shoes.

General Lane pulled Kal El back into their conversation, "Did you get to Star Labs? Did everything go okay?"

"Yes, General, thank you for arranging that. We got the tests done. They should have the results in a few days."

"Anything to protect my grandson. Wouldn't want anything to happen to him just because some alien dictator wants to take out the competition," the general answered.

Lois had been observing the interaction between her father and Superman, but her mind was in a fog; she was still in shock from the afternoon's events. Richard was gone, but here was Clark or Superman or Kal El, and her father speaking as if they knew each other and were old friends. Then there was the fact that she was Kal El's wife, not an abandoned lover, or an ex-girlfriend, or even a girlfriend. They were married in accordance to Kryptonian law and tradition.

She needed to get in control of her jumbled thoughts, but she also just wanted to go someplace alone and cry. A sudden realization hit Lois as she listened to her father speaking to the hero.

"Did you just call Superman Kal El?" she asked her father.

"That's his name isn't it?" he responded.

"But, he doesn't, hasn't, I mean, I didn't know it until just before Zod arrived. And I knew him for a couple years before that!" Lois was irritated with the realization that her father knew more about the hero than she thought.

"YOU KNEW!" She shouted angrily. "You knew where he went. All this time, all my worry, my raging, my heartache, and you knew – he went to Krypton. How could you, Father?" She was shaking in rage now.

"I thought it would be better that way," Kal El said. "I asked him not to tell you, Lo. Don't be angry with your father."

He looked at her, the heartache of his decision apparent in his eyes. He reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder, it used to calm her down when she was in one of her tempers; now it just made her angrier. Somehow his leaving for Krypton would always come back to haunt them, and she was furious that he had gone without talking to her; her father knew, he was involved somehow. It just wasn't fair.

The trio was standing far enough away from the investigators that they couldn't hear what was being discussed, but they realized that someone could overhear some very sensitive information if they weren't careful. Slowly they made their way into the house, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafted in the air, competing with the fragrance of pot roast and apple pie. A very contrite Superman gave Lois a cup of the brew as she sat down at the wooden table.

Jason had made his way to the kitchen, and was trying to convince his grandmother that he was allergic to baths, and needed to stay in his muddy clothes.

"Nice try, buddy, but you need to get upstairs and into the tub right now, or you'll get no dessert," Superman told his son, as he lifted him from his chair and placed his feet on the floor. "Your mommy told me that you love ice cream, and grandma has some in her freezer, just for you. And maybe you can try a small piece of pie."

"Perhaps you should get changed into something less conspicuous as well – Clark," the general said, "If someone were to walk into the house and see you dressed like that –" The General pointed to the 'S' shield on Clark's chest,

Clark flushed in embarrassment, and he super-sped upstairs and changed into some more appropriate Clark apparel. Lois crossed her arms across her chest and leaned back against the chair. She was beyond furious now, running out of adjectives to describe her emotions.

"You picked a very old-fashioned man there, Lois, a very honorable man," General Lane addressed his daughter. "He came to see me after he turned Zod over to the authorities, told me everything: who he was, what you both had done. He promised to be a good husband to you. He even apologized for not speaking to me first, for not asking my permission before marrying you."

Lois sank down in her chair as she listened to her father recount his first meeting with the hero who was her husband. Her anger started to subside a bit.

"I in turn told him about the studies that Zod had demanded while he was in control. I gave him what little data we had from Hubble, as well as other telescopes, and from some deep space probes. The images of Krypton that we had were just beginning to show some damage. It just didn't appear to be as devastated as we all believed, it looked like it might be intact; it could have survived. We just wanted to make sure that there weren't anymore Zods out there, or any survivors," General Lane explained.

"He really does love you, so much so that he was willing to give everything to keep you, and now Jason, safe," Martha added, as she placed a platter with the roast on the table, then started setting out the rest of dinner. Bowls of mashed potatoes, carrots and peas, rolls, including some made with rice and tapioca flour for Jason filled the table. It was hard not to be hungry with all the food around.

"I had Richard assigned to protect you, hoping that he would make a good substitute for Clark. I had no idea how long the journey would take, if he could even make it back in our lifetimes, if he ever made it back," General Lane continued. "I just wanted…."

"I know, Daddy. You did what you have always done, what every parent does, you tried to protect me, to fix things. But Daddy, you can't fix everything. And you can't fix this.

"Richard is dead. Jason's daddy isn't coming back, and he's just met his real father. _I_ don't even know my own husband; didn't even know, remember we were married. Five years! He was gone five damned years. We can't ever get that back," Lois got up from the table and slammed out of the back door into the farmyard. She couldn't stay indoors any longer. She needed to get out and get her head on straight. As she went to grab a cigarette from her pocket she realized that she must have left her coat inside. There was no way she was going back to the house to get it.


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: Sorry for taking so long to post this. Just as Lois and Clark found out, family deaths never come at a convenient time, nor are they welcome and when you have two in one week....Enough with the excuses. **

**Thank you Mak for taking time during your break to beta this chapter. And as always I don't own Superman, Lois, Perry, Jimmy, Richard...Though I wouldn't mind having an Ice Castle.**

Chapter 15

Perry had stood in shock as he witnessed the antagonism between Clark, and some woman who claimed to work for CSD: "This family has been through enough turmoil the last few days. Leave us alone," Clark stated, his voice full of the authority usually reserved for his alter ego. If Perry had any doubts before, they were fully erased now. He had always suspected it, that's why he hired him back: wherever Clark Kent was, so was Superman.

But what was going on?

Lois had shown up suddenly, collapsed in tears, said something to Clark, and then Clark had almost flown out the bullpen with his family in tow. The CSD officer just stood and stared at the now closed elevator doors. Perry blared at the woman: "Get out of my newsroom!" as he stormed back to his office.

Once again he sat at his desk inside the glass enclosure of his office watching the choreographed chaos in the newsroom. With Richard out, the assistant's duty fell on the shoulders of a younger, more inexperienced editor – Jimmy Olson.

Perry smiled as he watched Jim scold one of the college interns for a poorly researched piece. "You've been told before, _Wikipedia_ is NOT always reliable, now go and get some real facts for this article. We need proof, not conjecture, and a Wiki does not cut it."

Perry knew that his time to step aside was coming, and Richard wasn't the one who was going to take up his mantle.

Looking over the pile of papers on his desk: expense reports, articles, letters to the editor… he picked up a letter that had been delivered to him shortly after Lois, Clark, and Richard left:

_Perry,_

_ Things aren't always what they seem, nor are people._

_ It looks as if Lois and Clark have enemies in very high places, though I too have many. There is more going on here than I can explain. Don't believe everything you see, or hear. Don't trust anyone except for Lois and Clark._

_ I won't be returning to Metropolis. I enjoyed working with you, Uncle Perry and will miss you all._

_ Please take care of Lois and the Munchkin. Watch out for the Boy Scout, he's going to need your help in the days to come._

_ Love you,_

_ Richard_

Perry sat back in his big leather chair, fingers steepled over his lips, pondering the cryptic note sent by his nephew. He knew that Richard would eventually have to leave: that was the nature of his real job. It had been nice to have some family around, even if it was his nephew.

"Excuse me, Mr. White?" Perry's thoughts were interrupted by a visitor knocking at his door.

"Yes?" Perry looked up to acknowledge his guest.

"My name is Linda Danvers, Richard White is you nephew, am I correct?" The woman approached his desk, her hand outstretched in front of her. Perry stood as he accepted her outstretched hand wondering what she wanted with his nephew.

"Yes, Richard is my brother's kid," Perry motioned her to take a seat.

"Major White has you listed as his emergency contact, his next of kin."

Perry focused his attention on her, his full compliment of journalistic intuition screaming at him.

"Is there a problem?" Perry asked, a sense of dread falling upon him as he realized just what it was that Lois had said before Clark had whisked them away.

"There was an explosion this afternoon in Smallville, Kansas. It appears that a car bomb had been planted in a vehicle leased to your nephew. It exploded as your nephew opened the door. I'm sorry, but your nephew did not survive."

Perry's eyes widened at the confirmation of his nephew's death. Other than his sons, Richard was the only family Perry had left in this world. He looked at the letter he still held onto – "Don't believe everything you hear," Could this be part of Richard's cover? Was the explosion a trick? Is he going in deep cover? What is going on here? There was only one person that could answer those questions, and he wasn't sure if he was even still alive.

"If you need to talk, or help with arrangements, here's my card. Please, don't hesitate to call. The General has made arrangements for you to fly out to Kansas." She handed Perry her business card, along with a boarding pass for the next flight to Kansas City. As the woman opened the door she paused, "Please, don't hesitate to call if you need anything."

Perry looked lost. Jimmy had not seen such a look of hopeless despair on the old man's face since Alice had passed away; he shook the thought from his mind. Jimmy noticed that Perry was slightly shaking as he lifted the handset to his phone. Something was wrong, terribly wrong.

Walking to the break room he filled a mug with some fresh coffee, fixed it up the way Perry insisted, and then headed to the chief's office intending to find out what had happened.

"I know, Tim, but he was your cousin!" Perry's jaw was twitching as he clenched it.

"No, Damn it! I'm not going to call Lois. It's difficult enough, for cryin' out loud! She just lost her fiancé!"

"I don't care. You work for the damn Speaker of the House. You had better find out what happened! Don't put me –"

Perry slammed the phone down, and laid his head in his hands.

"Chief?" Jimmy asked timidly as he quietly knocked on his superior's door.

Perry looked up, his eyes red as he blinked away tears. Jimmy walked over, placed the cup on his boss's desk then sat in the office chair he preferred to use when they were in conference. Perry just looked at the young photographer, then grabbed the coffee as if it were a lifeline.

"Richard's dead," No pretext, no dancing around, just the facts, as they were.

Jimmy looked at Perry, "How? Where?"

"Car bomb, in of all places, Kansas."

"Kansas? Where Clark is from Kansas?" Perry simply nodded.

"What was Richard doing in Kansas?" Jimmy asked, half to himself.

"THEY were at Kent's farm, drove there after the Zod interview. Superman flew Jason out there yesterday to join them, get them away from the media circus that was going on here."

Jim was dazed, "They? But Clark and Jason were just here? Didn't Lois just…?"

"They were all staying at the farm. Clark and Jason weren't there when it happened. Superman had flown them back to Metropolis for some reason I still can't quite wrap my brain around." Perry ran an agitated hand through his graying hair. "Superman must have flown Lois here as well." _Though how he did that when he was arguing with that witch from CSD I'll never know._

"Now look kid, I need you to run the show. You've done a good job with assignments, getting things prepped, so just run with it. I'll check _In-Copy_ before print. You'll have to release the issue. You have a password, right?"

Jim nodded, trying to take in all that Perry was saying.

"I'm flying out on the next flight. General Lane made arrangements for me"

"What about Lois? She and Richard were engaged forever," Jimmy questioned.

"She'll be coming back, with her husband – and their son," Perry answered.

Jimmy scratched the back of his head as if it would jar some sense into this conversation.

"Husband? You just said that Richard was dead."

"Lois was married before Richard came along. I guess they never got around to divorcing."

Jimmy gave Perry a funny look. Who in the world was Lois Lane secretly married to all these years? "What are you talking about, Perry?"

"Do you remember the Niagara Falls story?"

Jimmy chuckled, "Lois threw a fit. Thought you were wasting a great reporter on that one."

"I guess I did, at that. Two actually. Kent left not long after."

Jimmy nodded. He remembered to the day when his friend left. "I always wondered if the two events were somehow associated; Clark didn't come back when Lois did. Zod grabbed Lois from your office shortly after she got back. She married …"

"Clark. And before you ask, Clark told me that Jason was his."

"I heard Lois say that to that lady Clark was arguing with. It just didn't register at the time….

"I can't believe that they've been married all these years, and she never said a word to anyone. So why did Clark leave? All he ever wanted was to be with Lois, you could see it in his eyes everytime he looked at her. When he got back she was the first person he looked for. You should have seen how crushed he looked when he saw…. No wonder he looked so hurt when he saw the picture of her and Richard."

"I think you've got the picture. I've got a plane to catch, and you have a paper to put to bed. Don't burn down the place while I'm gone." Perry grabbed his tickets, and his briefcase, after checking that his laptop was secured, then sped out of the newsroom.

**I never thought I would do this, but it is really nice to have some feedback. It's hard to write when you feel like you are sending it into a void. Please review.**


	16. Chapter 16

**AN: I want to thank you all for your wonderful reviews. I'm having a lot of fun writing this story, and hope that you are enjoying reading what I am writing. To my friends from : welcome. As soon as is up I'll make sure that I get this moved over there as well! Thanks once again to my beta Mak5258 for getting this back to me so quickly, and fixing my punctuation mistakes.**

The small print: I don't own Superman…

Chapter 16

Lois stopped at the split rail fence dividing the fields and placed her hand on the top slat. Looking off to the distance, she watched the last of the receding sunlight fade into darkness. The earlier storm spent, its downpour mourning a life too soon taken, a family torn asunder by thoughtless actions, and violent repercussions.

There was no moon tonight, the sky empty but for the stars. Millions of stars twinkling, suns to distant worlds: suns bringing life on some, death and destruction on others. Did Rao still shine upon the graveyard that was Krypton? Kal El hadn't said. He never did tell her how his world was destroyed, only that it was, and that Zod played a part in its destruction.

It must have been difficult for Lara to place her infant son in the tiny craft that would ferry him across the cosmos. Trusting that her husband had made the small ship safe, that it would make it to its destination, that her son would be found and raised by a loving family. To ultimately trust that her husband's research was correct, that their world would soon end, that this was the only way to protect their child, to give him a chance at life. Lois closed her eyes. "Thank you," she whispered to the wind.

Kal El had told her that the only way to protect his family from Zod was for him to acknowledge them to Zod, but Lois knew Superman couldn't have a family, that it would put them at risk from others. They needed a paper trail to prove that Clark Kent was married to Lois Lane, and that he was Jason's father. They needed to become a family to prevent Zod from acting. Why did Jason need protecting from Zod in the first place? What did Kal El know? What was he keeping from her? That was the ultimate question: What was Zod up to?

Lois watched as the investigators started to load up their vehicles, too dark now for them to continue. The burned-out hull of the car was loaded onto a tow truck, and what minimal remains of Richard White that could be recovered had been taken by the coroner's office. A technicality, there wasn't enough to bury.

Was it only a few hours ago she had wondered how she was going to tell Richard that she could not be with him any longer? A few hours ago that she had told him that she was already a married woman?

Now she had to tell their son that the only father he had known was gone, never to return. She looked at the engagement ring gracing her left hand. "Richard was a good man. He deserved better than this."

She slipped the ring from her finger.

Studying the gold band that had become part of her she tried valiantly to garner some control of her emotions. She failed. Tears fell freely, her heart aching as if it would explode as the car had. Would the pain ever go away? Was she responsible for his death? If he hadn't gotten involved in her life would he still be alive?

A tall, slender woman about Lois's age approached her. As she reached Lois she placed a wool blanket around her. She spoke words of comfort. Lois just looked at the woman as she spoke, not really hearing what she said, not caring for any company but her own.

"It's freezing out here. Let's get you in out of the cold," the woman gently guided Lois back to the farmhouse.

******

"Where's Daddy?" Jason asked Clark as he prepared to rinse the shampoo from the child's hair. Clark was hoping that he wasn't going to have to be the one to explain what had happened to Richard. He was just beginning to build a relationship with his son, how can he tell him his daddy was dead?

"Is Grampa Sam friends with Gramma? Is that why he's here?"

"Your granddad is here for your mommy, and you."

"Grampa knows about you. He called you Kal El," Jason stated, stepping out of the tub and onto the plush rug. Clark wrapped a big red towel around the small child, and "flew" him to his childhood bedroom to get dressed. Jason giggled as he put his arms out in front of him, just like Superman.

"We've met – before," Clark answered as he placed Jason on the bed, and handed him a pair of pajamas that Martha had purchased for occasions as this. Clark wondered how long his mother had known about his son. From her reaction, he knew it had been a while.

Clark's bedroom wasn't as big as Jason's bedroom back home. The boyish cowboy and Indian wallpaper had faded over the years. Books and pictures were piled on the tall narrow chest of drawers. A twin-sized bed stood high under a window, a night table with an ancient clock radio stood vigil next to the bed. Jason looked up to see stars on the ceiling. "Is that where you came from?" he asked as he pointed to a big red star.

Clark nodded. "Krypton."

"Will you take me to Krypton?"

Clark knelt down so that that he was at eye-level with the child. "No son, I won't ever be going back. There is no reason, it's gone."

Jason looked at his father, his big blue eyes reflecting the sadness his father felt.

"Is Daddy gonna be back tonight?" Jason asked again, this time looking to his father for an answer.

Clark thought about how he could answer his son's question about his daddy. He deserved an answer, but Clark felt that Lois should be there when he was told. He decided to just keep his answer as simple as possible for the time being, "Your daddy can't come back."

Clark heard a noise deep inside the earth, one that preceded a devastating quake. _Why can't a disaster ever wait for a more convenient time?_

"What's that rumbling noise?" Jason asked looking down as if he were trying to see through the floor.

"You can hear it?" Clark was astonished. He was much older when his super hearing came.

"Uh huh."

"That's an earthquake, somewhere very far away. Let's go downstairs, get you some supper."

Clark rushed the child out the bedroom and down the narrow stairs that led to the kitchen. A television somewhere announced that an earthquake had devastated the capital city of a small African nation; people were already crying out for help. Handing off Jason to his grandfather, Superman was already out the door and in the air before anyone could react.

Lois flinched as the woman started to lead her back to the house. She wasn't ready to go in, but she was getting cold. As they walked back towards the farmhouse a sudden gust of wind blew by, and she could have sworn she heard a soft "I love you," as it blew by, a gentle kiss brushing her cheek. "Keep safe," she whispered to herself, knowing that the man to whom she spoke would hear her, no matter how softly she spoke.

The warm air of the farmhouse began to take the chill off of her. She noticed that she was sitting at the kitchen table as Jason climbed up into her lap. A cup of coffee was placed in front of her, dinner waiting. The aroma tempted her stomach, but her mind was not ready to receive any comfort quite yet.

"Would you like some dinner?" Lois heard Martha ask the woman who had brought her in. She didn't remember her introducing herself.

"That would be lovely, thank you, Mrs. Kent, but I should be going. If you need me for any reason, please call," the young woman handed Martha her business card, a strange but somewhat familiar symbol was embossed in the right top corner.

Lois wrapped her arms around her son as he snuggled against her.

"Where's Daddy?"

Lois's eyes filled with tears as she looked over to her father for support. Whatever it was that called Clark away must have been terrible. He had promised to stay, to be there for Jason. Now she had to explain to their son the cold hard facts of life, people die, and not even Superman can stop that.

Sam Lane rose from his seat and lifted his grandson from her lap. "Jason, I think it is time for you and I to have a talk, okay?" Jason looked at his grandfather, " 'kay." They walked into the dimly lit living room and sat down on the threadbare divan.

"Nobody will tell me when Daddy's coming," Jason pleaded with his grandfather, his four-year-old countenance growing older by the minute.

General Samuel Lane had years of experience with the unpleasant task of informing families of their loss. He had written more letters of condolence, informed more heartbroken parents – or spouses, than he would ever wish upon another being, yet he was completely unnerved at the prospect of explaining to his very precocious, but very young grandson the death of his daddy.

"Jason, sometimes things happen, things nobody expects."

"Like when Mommy and me got stuck on that boat?"

"Just like when you and your mommy got stuck on the boat," he agreed. "You and your mother were lucky, your daddy and Superman were able to save you. But sometimes things happen so fast that even Superman can't help. That happened today, with your daddy."

"Superman was with me today," Jason scuffed his foot on the wood floor.

"Yes, he was. What you did today was very important."

"But something happened to Daddy because Superman was with me?" Jason voice quivered, guilt filled his face.

"No, not because Superman was with you." Sam hugged his grandson close to his chest, hoping that he would be able to convince him that what happened today wasn't his fault.

"Even if he wasn't with you, if you were both here, he could not have stopped what happened. Jason, your daddy won't be coming back, ever. He's dead. Do you understand?"

Jason looked at his grandfather, and nodded. "It means that he went someplace far away, and can never come back. But Superman went away, and he came back." Jason was adamant.

"Yes, he did go away, he went looking for his home. But he didn't die, he just went away. When somebody dies, their heart doesn't beat, they don't breathe, their body stops living."

"Jor El and Lara are dead. Is Daddy going to be in the crystal house with them?" Sam was puzzled by this response. He looked up at Lois standing in the doorway. Her puffy eyes brimming with tears as she listened to him try to explain death to a four-year-old.

"Your daddy couldn't do what they did, Jason. Jor El and Lara were from a different planet – Krypton. They knew things that we don't, could do things we don't understand or could even dream of," Lois explained.

"When they knew they were going to die – that their planet was going to die – they had time to prepare, and knowledge we don't. They put their essence in the crystals before they died. Do you remember Lara telling you that?

Jason nodded.

"But we can't do that. We don't know how."

Jason's eyes filled with tears. Sam pulled him close to his heart to comfort him.

"Did it hurt, when Daddy got dead?" Jason looked to the adults.

The adults in the room got quiet. Looking to each other they silently agreed that it was too much for a child to know. "I don't think so," General Lane answered hoping he was being honest.

"Why don't we go eat some of that delicious food your grandmother made for us."

The family gathered back at the kitchen table, but nobody felt like eating. They picked at small servings, and wished they could wake up from this nightmare.

General Lane noticed that Lois was all but asleep in her chair. "I remember when Lois was little. She was so full of energy, never stopping for anything, even to eat. When Ella, her mother, would finally make her sit down to eat her lunch or dinner, Lois would take a couple bites and promptly fall asleep, still holding her sandwich, or fork.

"I think she still forgets to eat," he chuckled, Martha smiled as she listened to General Lane reminisce about Lois' childhood.

Sam smiled as he looked over to Jason who had fallen asleep. "He is so much like his mother."

Sam gently lifted the boy from the chair, extracting a fork from his hand. Martha pointed out the room he would sleep in. "He'll sleep in Clark's old room: up to the top of the stairs, first door to your right, you can't miss it: it has cowboy wallpaper."

Martha walked over to her antique crystal radio, and turned to the news.

"The devastation is beyond belief. What was once a promising City of the Future for Africa is now a pile of rubble. Superman has been working non-stop helping uncover survivors, but even he is showing signs of fatigue. One wonders if he has completely recovered from his recent injuries…."

"Gee, go figure. A guy falls out of the sky _after_ lifting a radioactive piece of rock to the outer atmosphere. Ya think he might still be suffering from some side effects?" Lois asked mockingly. Martha smiled at her outburst.

"Why don't you get some sleep, Dear, you're exhausted. I'll make up the bed in the guest room for you. Your father is going to stay at a motel in town." Martha stood up to go makeup the bed for her daughter-in-law.

"Thank you."

What a wonderful, giving person Martha Kent was; opening her home to strangers, AND aliens. For all she knew, Martha entertained angels in her spare time.

Lois walked to the living room, the piano stood with a collage of photos on top chronicling the life of the Kent family. She recognized Clark's dad from a photo he had kept on his desk back at the office, smiling she picked up a photo of Clark. She figured it was his senior picture from high school.

As homey as the farm was she was reminded that she had never been to Clark's place in the city. The first time he had taken her to the fortress she had asked Superman if that was where he lived, he answered simply that it was a place he went to learn, and to get away.

"_Actually, I live a couple blocks away from you."_

Did he have a place in Metropolis now? Would he return to it or would they live together? Maybe they should wait a while?

Lois sat down on the sofa, covering herself with a tartan plaid wool throw that was neatly folded over the back. She liked the living room; its cozy clutter was somehow calming. There were logs in the fireplace, ready to be lit should the night grow too cold. An antique Tiffany lamp on the round end table released a soothing glow. Lois watched out the window, seeing nothing but a dim reflection of the room. The wind had picked up, and was blowing strongly, making the house creak and groan in protest.

"He'll be back," Martha promised as she entered the room, settling on the couch next to Lois.

Lois looked at the elderly woman. "I know, he won't leave us again. Not now."

"I don't think he'd dare." Martha patted Lois on the knee. "Your room is right down the hall. You should get some sleep. Good-night, dear," Martha gave Lois a hug then headed upstairs to her bedroom.

Lois awoke as she felt the weight of a blanket placed upon her. She hadn't even realized that she had fallen asleep. "This is the second night in a row that I have had to move you from my bed," he teased as he brushed her hair from her face. Clark stood up to leave the room.

"Don't leave. I don't want to be alone. Not now." She reached out for him.

Clark sighed as he climbed into the bed, pulling her into his arms. Contentment fell over him.

"How are we going to make this work? Why is this happening to us?" Lois mumbled sleepily.

Clark nuzzled Lois's ear, whispering softly, "We're Lane and Kent, it will all work out." as if that were answer enough, then drifted off into what he hoped would be a refreshing slumber.


	17. Chapter 17

**AN Wow, Thanks Mak5258 you got that back to me fast! You are the greatest!**

**Disclaimers: I do not own WB, Superman, Lex Luthor, Zod .... This was written just because I wanted to!**

Chapter 17

Jason awoke in his father's room. Looking up at the stars placed on the ceiling, he wondered what it was like out in space. He knew that his daddy was out there somewhere watching out for him. His grampa told him that when good people die, they go to a special place and watch over those they left behind. It made him sad to know that he wouldn't ever get to see his daddy again.

Hearing voices, he quietly slipped down the stairs. His father was back from the earthquake and he was anxious to know what happened. He had heard about Superman saving a Rhino while Gramma was listening to the radio. Finding his parents snuggled together in the big bed in the guestroom he did what any child would do on a lazy morning; Jason climbed in with them and snuggled too.

Martha went downstairs to check on her bereaved houseguest, only to be greeted by the sight of her son's family curled up together in the guestroom bed. Clark looked over to the doorway as he heard her approach, his face radiant as he embraced his family. He put his finger to his lips signing for his mom to let them sleep. Martha smiled back at her boy, and went into the kitchen to put out breakfast for the four of them. After so much tragedy, they needed this little respite.

Seeing Ben walking from the barn, Martha went out to greet him, and perhaps shanghai him into taking her to town to pick up a few things for her grandson.

Clark awoke again to the buzz of his cell phone. "Kent here," he answered.

"It's Perry. I'm in Chicago right now I'll be arriving in Kansas City in a couple hours. Think you can get someone to pick me up?"

"I think I can get you a ride to the farm."

Lois got up and took off for the bathroom. She didn't look well.

"Something with four wheels, and an engine, Kent. I don't want any 'special' favors from a certain blue clad hero, I'd rather fly the interstate." Clark's eyes widened at the implication Perry just made. Had he put the pieces together?

"I'll be there. What airline?"

Perry gave him his itinerary, and they hung up. Perry rushed to the gate to catch the last leg of his flight.

Jason sat at the table in the breakfast nook eating a bowl of cereal, his legs dangling from the chair.

"Whatcha eating, Jas?" Clark asked as he grabbed a loaf of bread from the breadbox.

"Kix," he answered as he scooped another spoonful in his mouth. He watched his father, fascinated, as he held a slice of bread and toasted it to perfection with his eyes.

"Cool!" Jason exclaimed, "Can I do that?"

Clark looked at his son, shrugging his shoulders, "I'm not sure what you'll be able to do. We'll know more after we get some of those test results back."

Jason slumped back in his chair as he was reminded of yesterday's events. Clark recognized the look of guilt in his son's face.

"I don't think I want to anymore," Jason answered resignedly, visibly drawing into himself. Clark wished he could do something to fix the situation, but knew only time would help.

"I don't want to grow up to be Superman, Mommy," He cried to his mother as she entered the kitchen.

Kneeling down to his level she scooped him into her arms rocking him gently "Nobody ever said you did."

Clark watched as this amazing woman comforted their son. His son. He would never get over the awe, knowing that their love had created something so wonderful. His son, his legacy; Kal El was the last hope of his race, Jason the promise of something new.

"Clark, who called?" Lois asked as she sat down next to their son.

Clark blinked, "Oh, um, Perry. He's in Chicago. He'll be flying into KC in a couple hours. I'll need to borrow mom's car. Perry doesn't want me to ask any favors from, you know…." Clark motioned with his hand.

"It's just us, Clark," Lois laughed at Clark's antics.

"You never know who might be outside the kitchen door." Clark said as he walked over to the door and pulled back the curtain covering the window. Outside was a news van, and one of GNN's most obnoxious reporters standing at the door getting ready to knock.

Lois looked over to the door and groaned. "What is she doing here?"

Clark grabbed the car keys and stepped out the door, readying himself to be accosted by Kat Grant.

"Clark! You're here! I heard about the explosion! I was so scared that you all had gotten hurt."

"What are you doing here, Kat?"

"Well, Clark, I have to admit: I wanted to be the first on the story '_Daily Planet Assistant Editor Blown Up on Fellow Reporter's Farm_.' By the way, how _is_ Lois doing?"

"She's doing as well as can be expected, Kat. Please go, she doesn't need any of this right now." Clark motioned to the video crew that was setting up outside the house.

Clark started to walk to the shed where his mother's baby blue'57 T-Bird soft-top was stashed. Backing the classic car out of the shed, he prepared for a quiet drive to the airport. Clark pulled the car up to the house, and stepped out the give his family a quick good-bye. Jason ran out backdoor hoping to catch his father before he drove off. Clark scooped him up in his arms as he walked up the steps.

"Mommy doesn't like that lady. Can I go with you, Dad?"

A laugh rumbled in Clark's chest, "No, kiddo, she never has," He whispered back, winking at his son. Joy burst in his heart: Jason called him Dad! Not Clark or Father, but Dad.

Kat sauntered over to the pair, "Cute kid."

"I think so. Takes after his mom," Clark answered back, ruffling his son's hair. Kat gave him a puzzled look, the same, he thought, that he must have given Jimmy back in the newsroom as he had spied the picture of the boy for the first time.

Clark set his son down on the porch, "Ask your mom," he said as Lois walked out the door.

"Ask Mom what?" Lois asked, looking at her two men conspiratorially.

Clark gazed at Lois on hearing her voice so strong and steady. Nothing belied that last night he had listened to her crying, the anguish matching that of the people in Africa, the loss from both overwhelming. Now she stood, strong, poised and ready to begin the next stage of what looked to be a long battle between two undefeatable forces.

"Can I go with Dad to pick up Uncle Perry?" Jason asked his mother as he held onto his father's hand. Lois smiled at her boys, happy that Jason was finding comfort in his dad.

Kat looked from Lois to Clark, "You two?"

Lois smirked at her collegue, as she pulled her boys into a hug, "And you thought I never noticed the farmboy."

"Why don't you stay here, it's a long boring drive to Kansas City. If you stay you can play with Shelby, and maybe get some cookies from Grandma," Lois chided.

"Okay," Jason said half-heartedly, running off to chase after Shelby.

Clark gave Lois a quick peck on the cheek, "I'll be back soon," he promised.

"Why are you here?" Lois glowered at Kat as the car disappeared down the dirt lane.

Kat smiled back at her, "You know, Lois, in a very short time the press is going to figure out where you're hiding. The news feeds are already flowing with reports on Richard, and want they're going to want the full story.

"And you, my dear, are by no means up to the game, nor do I believe is Perry. You are going to need a family spokesperson. I know that we have had our differences in the past, but right now, I want to be someone you can count on, to be there for your family."

"Why? What's in it for you?"

Kat paused, inhaling deeply said "Resolution."

"Resolution?" Lois motioned Kat over to the porch swing and sat down, "Explain."

"The Vanderworth's own the TV station I work for. They thought that Gertrude was getting pulled into some scam, and asked me to find out what it was. They hoped that I might be able to get your help in the investigation since I had worked with you in the past, and it did involve Lex Luthor. "

"You called me, what was it, eight months ago?" Lois agreed, mentally hitting herself for ignoring her call.

Kat nodded, "When you didn't return my call, I decided to go undercover myself. Got some colored contacts, some ugly wigs, made myself up differently. I got hired as a maid for the Vanderworths, and eventually got the attention of Gertrude's new husband, Lex Luthor."

Lois looked at Kat more closely than she had ever looked before, "YOU?! You're Kitty Kowalski?"

"I'm not proud of that, that I had to pretend to be Lex Luthor's bitch. It is something I'd rather forget about. It was a good thing he was so much in love with himself; I don't know what I would have done if I had to do more than play a part," she shuddered.

"I hated every minute, but by the time I finally found out what Luthor was up to, there was no way out. He kept me with him every second after the whole Mustang incident, threatened to kill me if I left, if I tried to contact Superman."

"He knows about Jason, Lois. When the guys told him what happened to Brutus he panicked. Does Clark know? He seems to think that –"

"Jason _is_ Clark's son, Kat. Of that I am absolutely positive."

"But, what about the piano?"

"What about the piano? Do you think a five year old could move a piano?" Lois tried to look confident as she attempted to convince Kat that Jason was not Superman's son.

"I know what I saw on the boat. Your son did not like being near that Kryptonite, Brutus was crushed by a flying piano, and you hesitated for a brief second before you answered Lex's question, you weren't very convincing. But if you are absolutely positive that Clark is Jason's father, and I know that Jason is Superman's son, then I can come to only one conclusion: Clark didn't meet with Zod because he couldn't meet with Zod, because Zod would know that Clark Kent Superman," Kat whispered to Lois.

Lois looked around to make sure that nobody could have heard Kat.

"And that Zod creature –" Kat shuddered as she thought of the eerie conversations Lex had with the disembodied head emanating from some green crystal device Luthor kept hidden on his person.

"Lex fancies himself as the savior of humanity. He thinks that Superman is selfishly hording his technology, and Lex wants it. Zod has convinced him that he is the key to getting it. Zod has a way of getting people to follow him. He's the ultimate conman. Between the two of them they've bribed, conned, and threatened just about every high level bureaucrat between here and Washington, DC. They have several Congressmen and Senators in their pocket, not to mention the business mogels and foreign dignitaries that are fawning over the alien technology Zod has promised them."

"Do you know what they are up to?" Lois asked.

Kat shook her head sadly, "Lex would send me away when he spoke with Zod. But I think it has something to do with crystals and a Kryptonian library."

_Please, please, please, tell me what you think. Constructive reviews are appreciated._


	18. Chapter 18

AN: Thanks to Brin and Mak for their excellent eyesight, and beta capabilities. Their comments made this chapter better than it was.

I don't own Superman, Clark, Lois, Jason....

Chapter 18

Clark arrived at the terminal just as Perry exited, waving to let him know he saw him. Drifting through the sea of humanity, Clark tried to connect with the older man, but was continually rebuffed by the tides of his fellow reporters seeking morsels of the story of day: _The Death of Daily Planet Assistant Editor Richard White_. None of the reporters surrounding Perry took note of the tall man who approached them. Clark was more invisible now than he had ever imagined being back in Metropolis.

"Mr. White, can you tell us what your nephew was doing here in Kansas?" One young reporter called out. Clark observed that he couldn't have been much older than 21 or 22, and was not at all intimidated by the prospect of interviewing the Editor-in-Chief of one of the most respected news organizations in the world. Perry looked at the young reporter, Clark noticed the wry smile on Perry's face: _this kid would go far_. Clark would be watching to see if he showed up in the bullpen of _The Planet_ sometime in the near future.

"Visiting," the editor responded.

"What about the allegations that he is a CIA plant in your organization?" Another reporter tossed out.

Clark made his way through the crowd, "Please – Mr. White has had a long trip. His family will make a statement to the press later."

Clark's composure, his stance, evoked a sense of respect normally bestowed on Superman –though his attire claimed something completely different. Clark placed his hand on the elbow of his boss. "Do you have any luggage?"

"Just the carry-on."

"Let's get you out of here," Clark said as he quickly took hold of the bag from Perry's hand leaving him with just his laptop bag.

When they reached Clark's car Perry looked at his friend, surprise on his face. "You drove that?"

Clark shrugged as he opened the trunk to place Perry's luggage in it. "It has four wheels, and an engine." Clark smirked at the look on Perry's face. "It's my mom's, she bought it before she married my dad," Clark answered Perry's unasked question as he slid behind the wheel. "I learned how to drive in it. Well, it and an ancient pick-up."

*****

A well-worn path led the way to the old-fashioned kitchen garden. The garden was surrounded by a white picket fence. Dried stalks of sunflowers stood sentry at the fence, jays and crows picking the last bit of seed from the large disks. Scarlet runner beans clambered for dominance over the giant plants, hollyhocks unfurling the last of their colorful blooms between them. The fragrance of mint and thyme blended with oregano and basil overwhelmed the faint odor of alfalfa drying in a nearby field waiting for the combines to roll it into giant pinwheels.

Martha loved working in her garden. The scents, colors, and sounds took her back to happier, simpler times. Having her grandson join her made her task even more pleasant. The childhood joy of digging in the soil and finding out how fun it was to be dirty always brings enjoyment to those who grow up working the land.

Jason struggled to uproot a carrot that had been left in the ground a tad bit too long. His head popped up in an all too familiar imitation of his father; he must have heard something. The carrot finally surrendered to the young boy's efforts, and the victorious child trotted off towards the driveway, triumph gleaming in his eyes. '_Play is the first vocation of a child'_ Martha remembered reading years ago when Clark had first come to them.

"I thought I might find you back here." Ben Hubbard's teasing voice floated to her. She looked up to acknowledge her beau.

"Haven't heard from you since you got back from Metropolis. Is something wrong?" Hurt was evident in his voice.

"Just Clark's worlds colliding, and we are in the midst of the fallout."

Ben gave Martha a quizzical look.

"You've been different Martha. Ever since Clark got back from wherever it was he went, you've been, well, distant. Quiet. You've gone back to keeping to yourself. And then you insisted on flying out to Metropolis when the news come out that Superman fell from the sky. It was like you were in a panic. I've never seen you like that before."

"Ben, I told you then, I got news that Clark had been hurt and that he was in the hospital."

"Martha, when we got there you didn't even try to get in to see him. We just stood outside with the crowd."

"The city was in a shambles, Superman was in critical condition. Do you really think that some old lady from Kansas would have gotten in to see her son?"

"They let that reporter in to see Superman, didn't they?"

Martha smiled at the memory of the first time she saw her grandchild and his mother, she knew then that her boy would be fine. "I don't think they had a choice, Ms. Lane is a real spitfire, according to Clark."

"So are you, Martha. They would have let you in to see your son," he argued. "And before the whole Metropolis thing, there was the meteor that hit somewhere around here."

"Meteor? What on earth are you talking about, Ben Hubbard?" Martha was getting nervous now. Ben was starting to ask the right questions at the wrong time again.

"The last time I was here, the night we played Scrabble. On the way home I saw a bright light, a ball of fire fall from the sky. I swear it landed in one of your fields. Funny thing, when I went to take a look the next morning I couldn't find anything. But I swear Martha, that back field hadn't been tilled yet, but there it stands, as bare as can be: not a stalk, nor husk of corn to be seen, there aren't even any weeds. Its like everything was just burned off.

"Then lo and behold, that very same morning your errant son returns from who knows where, saying he flew in the night before."

*****

Clark steered the car down the dirt lane that led to the Kent Family farm when Perry finally found his voice, "Is this where you grew up?"

Clark looked over at his boss, "Uh huh, my parents adopted me when I was younger than Jason."

"That's right; you've mentioned that you were adopted. Your dad died when you were still in school. Do you know anything about your real parents?"

"The Kents are my real parents,"

"Oh, um, do you remember your _birth_ parents?"

"I don't really have any memories from before Jonathon and Martha Kent brought me home." Clark shrugged. "My birth-parents died when I was very young. I had no other family. The Kents happened to be at the right place at the right time, so they adopted me. I do have a few trinkets and images from my birth-parents: things to remind me of them, of where I came from."

"And where exactly is that?"

"We're here," Clark ended the conversation, as he parked the car near the front porch of a quaint but aging farmhouse. Jason greeted his father and uncle, "Look what I found in Gramma's garden," He held up a huge carrot, then popped it in his mouth after rubbing the dirt off onto his jeans.

"Where's your mom?" Clark asked.

"She's in the house talking to the TV lady. Who's General Zod? I thought the General's name was Sam."

Clark squatted down so that he could look his son in the eye as he spoke. "Where did you hear about him?"

"The TV lady. Everyone is talking about him, and how mom and Superman are hiding something from him. Maybe a wig; they keep talking about Superman's hair. Is General Zod bald like the bad man on the boat?"

Perry laughed at the absurdity. "I think you mean heir, Jason. An heir is somebody who will get something special from someone when they die. Zod thinks that J–?" Perry looked at Clark and Jason, as the realization dawned on him. The urgency of the paternity tests they took yesterday, why they rushed to get them. Why it was so important to keep Clark's identity secret. The desperation in the young father's face told it all, he needed to protect his family: Lois, Jason, and the woman he called Mom.

"You know, I think I still have the copy of your marriage license you gave me to hold onto before you left. It's in the safe at my house. I'll have it sent here. You got married on June 14, Flag Day, if I remember correctly."

"Thank you, Perry." Clark looked stunned, then relieved.

"You go on in, I'll get your bags. I'm sure Kat would love to see you."

"Kat? As in Kathryn Grant?"

"The TV lady," Clark laughingly quoted his son. "She has graciously volunteered to be the spokesperson for the family. Lois agrees that it would be good."

Perry ascended the porch steps and entered into the surreal world of the Kent family and the multitude of secrets they harbored.

Kat had just hung up her phone as Perry entered into the house, young Jason bounding in behind him. Kat gave Perry a hug, "I'm sorry about what happened to Rich."

"I am too," Perry responded, returning the hug.

*****

Ben continued his inquisition; "Come to think of it, the basement in the barn. What do you have hidden down there? It must be something, Martha. You don't let anyone down there. You insist on putting stuff down there yourself. You keep it locked. Jon wouldn't let anyone down there either. He kept the door hidden under the hay, like in the stories of his great-great grandpa smuggling slaves north."

Martha was getting uncomfortable with the direction of her friend's questions, she wasn't ready to divulge Clark's secret to outsiders, and no matter how close she and Ben were, he _was_ an outsider. She wondered how he would react if he knew the truth about the man strolling towards them with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Didn't they ever tell you? There's a spaceship in the basement. It's been there for years," Clark said, a hint of mirth in his voice. Sometimes it is better to just tell the truth. After all, who in their right mind would believe something as improbable as a farmer hiding a spaceship in his barn cellar? Martha covered her mouth to hold back a laugh.

"Clark, how are you? Your mother was so worried about you. She made us fly all the way to Metropolis to see you,"

"I'm fine, thank you. Coming home to recuperate after my injury was a very good idea. I'm glad that Mom suggested it. Unfortunately work has followed me here. We are about to be overcome with reporters, so if you both wouldn't mind, I think we should all head into the house. Some of my colleagues are not as considerate as they should be."

"Why is the press coming here?" Ben asked.

"There was an incident on the farm yesterday involving one of my coworkers from the _Planet," _Clark explained, "Richard White was here along with Lois Lane and _our_ son. Richard's car exploded as he was getting ready to leave on his next assignment. His family is here until his remains are released for transport back to Metropolis," Clark stated, as unemotionally as possible.

"I heard about the explosion. I had no idea one of your coworkers was killed, I'm sorry."

"Richard was a good man. He and Lois did a great job raising Jason while I was gone."

"That's the boy – Jason? He's yours?" Ben was shocked. Of all the people in the world to abandon their child, he would have never expected it of Clark Kent.

Review, please.


	19. Chapter 19

**AN: Thanks to my betas, and to all who have been reviewing up to this point. I know this chapter is short, but it is what it is for a reason.**

Dru Zod stepped up to the podium bearing the symbol of his house and looked out over the faces of reporters from every major paper and news outlet – all but one. He could sense the anticipation, the ridiculous hope that he would form an alliance with the traitor that would truly make Metropolis the "City of Tomorrow."

Fools: small, insignificant creatures looking for a great leader to guide them, to protect them. This was what he'd been born for. He repressed a smile.

"Several years ago, I was freed from a fate worse than death. Cursed to spend an eternity languishing in an alien prison called the Phantom Zone. And for what reason?"

Dru paused and let his gaze sweep across the crowd. "Because I believed that _all_ Kryptonians deserved the same rights that you yourselves enjoy. When I arrived on your planet, I believed I had come to a world ruled not by law, but by might. My first encounter with your race was with officers who abused their authority and threatened to imprison my companions and me simply because we were different."

A few quiet murmurs rose from the crowd.

"I did not know that I had landed on a world protected by the Kryptonian high counsel, by the House of El – the very house that entrapped me for my beliefs. A world I myself had hoped to come to, to find sanctuary for my doomed race."

Dru bowed his head in an external gesture of respect and grief, but inwardly he rejoiced in his performance.

"I cannot excuse my behavior, nor that of my compatriots Ursa and Non, who have passed to the next life before their time. He raised his head again and let his eyes flash with anger.

"However, I can no longer remain silent. I must tell you the truth of what happened. How I, the protector of Krypton, was betrayed by my closest ally and friend – Jor El, father of Kal El who you know as Superman. Because of this man, my world was destroyed and I now walk among you while the son of Jor El keeps to the sky – never to be one of you…."

******

Kat Grant stood in the center of the mass of reporters that had overcome the Kent Farm; cameras fixed where corn once grew. Her poise did not waver as she fielded the multitude of questions flung at her, keeping the queries on the subject of Richard White's untimely death, while trying to deflect those on other subjects away from little ears and broken hearts.

"Ms Grant: what can you tell us about the explosion that killed Richard White?"

"I cannot comment on that as it is still under investigation. What we do know is that it was not accidental."

"Ms. Grant, why was Mr. White here in Kansas?"

"Mr. White and Ms. Lane were here visiting with their friend and co-worker Clark Kent after their interview with General Zod."

"Why didn't Mr. Kent accompany Ms. Lane on the interview with General Zod?"

"Mr. Kent was severely injured in the New Krypton incident. He returned to his childhood home after he was released from the hospital to recover from those injuries."

"Then why did Ms. Lane try to pass Mr. White off as Mr. Kent?"

"I don't have the answer to that question."

"What about the allegations that Mr. White was in actuality a CIA agent, and not a journalist as we have been led to believe?"

"I cannot discuss that at this time as the allegations are under investigation, but I can tell you that Mr. White was a journalist, I myself attended journalism school with him. He could not have lasted five years as an assistant editor at the Daily Planet if he wasn't good at his job."

"Is there any truth to the rumors that Ms. Lane's son is not in actuality Mr. White's child but could in fact be Superman's son?"

"This is not the time or the place to discuss this matter, nor is the paternity of a five-year-old something the public needs to know. Richard White was a well-respected journalist, and we would appreciate the press give him the honor due. He was a hero in his own right, risking his own life and happiness to report the truth, while serving this country in a capacity only a few can."

"Why so much secrecy, Ms. Grant?"

"The family would appreciate some time to morn their loss in private. Thank you."

Kat walked back into the house and into the darkened living room. She sat on the couch, deflated, having never considered the emotional toll it would take to be the spokesperson for this family. So much left unsaid to protect the innocent lives interwoven together. She wondered if she could really be trusted to keep such an important secret, if she were worthy of the task.

******

General Zod exited the private elevator into his opulently furnished penthouse. He was greeted by his personal assistant, who handed him a freshly laundered suit still wrapped in its protective plastic covering. Zod removed his jacket, handing it to the blonde woman. "Thank you," he said as he stepped into the bathroom to shower off the stench of the humans.

"Please call the president and accept his invitation. Let him know that I am looking forward to our discussion. Also, call Ms. Lopinsky and schedule a meeting with her for _after_ my appointment with the president."

"Oh, and discard the soiled suit, Ms. Danvers. I don't think it will come clean," he said arrogantly as he stepped out of his clothes, leaving them in a pile for the woman to recover.

**AN: Please don't forget to leave a review on your way out. Thanks.**


	20. Chapter 20

**AN: Thanks to my great betas: Mak5258 and BrinLondo for making me look so good, or at least making my story look good.**

**Usual disclaimer….I don't own Superman, Clark Kent, Lois Lane… or any other human or alien either real or imagined. If I did wouldn't I be guilty of slavery?**

Kat looked at the occupants of the darkened room, people she respected, people she cared about, the only family she had.

Perry White, one of the most respected journalists alive today sat on an overstuffed chair wringing an old handkerchief. The vacant look on his usually animated face told her that her former boss had been broken by his nephew's death, and the burden of his family's secrets. Secrets about spies, and heroes: secrets that when verified would destroy his, and _The Daily Planet's_ credibility in the fickle world of journalism.

Observing Lois and Clark she now had an idea of the burden those two carried, and garnered a new appreciation for both of them, for all of them. Clark's mother the most, the pressure that woman must have felt over the years, being the only other person to hold Clark's secret. Imagine, a simple farmer finding and raising a most amazing child, a child from another world – a child that would become Superman. It was a secret that could never be revealed, a burden never to be shared with anyone outside this room, though kat realized that even in this room not all were privy to the fact that Superman sat among them. Even amongst their closest friends and companions the secret remained.

Martha handed Kat a cup of tea, "You handled yourself very well out there. Thank you."

Kat watched as Martha poured herself some tea then settled back in an overstuffed chair, tears falling softly from ancient and tired eyes.

Jason crawled off his mother's lap and moved over to his grandmother, reaching his small hand to wipe a tear from her cheek. He carefully crawled up into her lap, wrapping his arms around her neck.

Kat watched in awe the depths of this family's love and devotion. This child, who only met his grandmother a few days before now comforted her as only a child could. That he would reach out to those he barely knew spoke volumes of the man he would become. One could only hope that he would be as kind and gentle as his father. By this child's actions she knew that the world should not worry that the Son of Superman could ever be anything to fear.

The TV flickered in the background, images of the day's news rolling past in a discouraging montage of violence and mayhem. How many times in the past did they all watch the reports brought to them instantaneously through the miracle of computers, video, and satellites? The constant bombardment of the worst in mankind would be enough to dishearten the purest of hearts. Instead he – Kal El, Superman, Clark – sat watching, loving, and comforting those who sat with him, the images only reinforcing his resolve to be a light in this dark world.

The images again changed: General Zod now graced the screen, his outward appearance leading one to believe that he was trustworthy, that he was as human as the audience he addressed. His smooth words working their way into the minds of those naive enough to listen to trust in the man who had already destroyed one world, and now desired to control another.

Clark went into the kitchen to get a drink. Even with the sound turned off he could hear the voice of his father's sworn enemy, the disdain for mankind oozing from his lips. Zod said one thing, while his whole demeanor screamed liar. He was good. From the sound bites presented Zod was made out to be the victim, and Superman was guilty by default.

"What are you going to do?" Martha asked quietly, her voice startling Clark. He had been alone for so long, it had become habit for him to draw into himself, even when he was home.

"What can I do? He has a point. Superman must keep aloof, separate, if only to protect you all. That mystique is the only disguise I have. If someone found out who I am, that you raised me, that Lois and Jason are my family…."

"But doesn't Luthor already know? What if he tells someone else?" Martha started to busy herself opening cupboards and pulling out the ingredients needed to start dinner. Clark helped her has he noticed that she was reaching for an item on the top shelf.

"He does. But I don't think that is information that he would hand out freely. Knowledge is power, and men like Luthor and Zod don't share power. No, we don't have to worry about Luthor. Zod is the one pulling the strings, Luthor's just a puppet. He had his time. Zod has moved on and put new players on the stage. The next act is about to begin."

"Do you have any clue as to what that might be?" Lois asked from the doorway, Kat was standing next to her.

"I have a theory only. Nothing concrete yet." Clark looked over to the two reporters.

"I'm sure that Zod has a hand in much of what is happening," Kat agreed. "But, the only way we are ever going to get any evidence is if one of us gets back to work. Start digging. And since you are on suspension and Lois is a grieving widow, I'm sure that neither of you are going to be getting back out there anytime soon."

"Right, grieving widow." Lois looked at Clark guiltily.

"We're going to figure out what Zod is up to, if he is behind all the commotion about Jason, and why he wants the fortress bad enough to ally himself with humans," Clark said wincing at the way it sounded.

Lois bristled at that comment; "You make us sound so disgusting, _Kal El_"

"In Zod's mind you are. I'm of a different mind-set," Clark looked at his wife and smiled, lifting an eyebrow slightly.

Kat and Martha both laughed. "We know what of what mind-set you are, Farm-Boy." Lois swatted at him. "Your son speaks volumes of _your_ mind-set."

"I take back what I said about you being a grieving widow, Lois. Have you no shame?" Kat fired back, mock indignation in her voice.

The sound of laughter brought the other inmates of the house into the kitchen. By the time dinner was ready, the inhabitants' mood had been lifted. After the dinner mess had been cleared up – and all were feeling well fed, the adults again began discussing the upcoming events of the next few days.

"Jason, why don't we get you ready for bed, then we'll read some stories. We'll let the grownups talk."

"What was my father's favorite story?"

"The Velveteen Rabbit. Would you like to hear it?"

"Uh huh." Jason quickly gave his parents a hug, then his Uncle Perry.

"G'night!"

As Martha and Jason ascended the stairs he turned to his grandmother "After you read me about the rabbit, could you tell me about Krypton?"

"Oh, honey, I don't know about that. I've never been there."

"Oh. The crystal lady tells me about Krypton."

"I have to get back to the station. I really want to get your interview turned in for the morning segment. Then I'll start digging into Madam Lopinsky's role in Luthor's and Zod's releases. I'm sure she's dirty."

"I know she is. I just was never able to get any corroboration." Frustration was evident in Lois' voice.

"With someone as important as Anne Lopinsky, you'd better have proof before you turn in a story."

"Maybe you can get one of your sources to find out who got CSD involved as well. I don't think it was anyone at the Planet, though I have been wrong about co-workers in the past." Lois looked over at Clark.

He shrugged. "What?"

"Good-night all," Ben Hubbard yelled from his truck, hand waving out the window. Perry sat uncomfortably next to him, his computer bag on the seat between them.

"I'm sure glad Clark and Lois are spending time with Martha. She has been acting a little strange lately. Maybe having the kids around will help, she was alone for so long while Clark was out doing his thing. Even with him in Metropolis she's a lot happier than while he was out traveling the globe. Do you even know what he was looking for? Did he find it?"

"You would have made one hell of a journalist, Mr. Hubbard. You fire off those questions like a pro," Perry smiled.

"You would have made a great politician. You haven't answered one of my questions," both men guffawed at his reply.

"Seriously, Martha really missed having Clark around. While he was gone it was like he fell off the face of the Earth. Then she got it in her mind to travel herself, and drag me along. We'd fly off for a few days to South America, or Africa. Exotic places. I think she'd go online and find the cheapest flights, and just go. She always made sure to find postcards of the places we went." Ben smiled thinking of some of the places they visited and the interesting people they met.

"I bet she wracked up the frequent flier points."

"No doubt about that. She used them to fly us to Metropolis when she found out that Clark was hurt. Funny thing about that, she never did go see him in the hospital."

"They wouldn't have let her in. The whole place was on lockdown because of Superman."

"They let Ms. Lane in."

"She's Lois Lane. They had to let her in." Perry squirmed as he wondered how much his host really knew about Clark Kent.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. President, General Lane," General Zod smoothly greeted the leader of the free world and his staff. "I have looked forward to this meeting to discuss my plans to help you make your world better, a safer place to raise families, to continue your great race for many generations."

"Kal El has betrayed a great trust: he left the Knowledge crystals of Krypton unsecured on what is, I am sorry to say, a very primitive and corrupt world allowing one of your worst criminals to steal them from his fortress and use them in a manner unworthy of their value.

"The crystals that Kal El holds should not be held by just one man, a man who on our world would not yet be considered a man, but an adolescent, a child. That he controls them is not right. They were meant for the use of your people, to give you all the knowledge to overcome your corrupt nature and become a part of the larger universe.

"Within those crystals is the combined knowledge of all the known galaxies in the universe. Those crystals would give you the knowledge to end famine and disease on your world. They would allow you to break from the bonds of your three-dimensional thinking, and open you to a whole new realm of understanding. One that will allow intergalactic space travel, setting before you new worlds to explore, civilizations far older than your own to learn from. Your people would finally take their place, and become what Krypton once was: a light in a very dark universe.

"Kal El should not be hording that knowledge or the powers for which he is known. His great powers have already given him an advantage over you: powers that have come from generations of genetic manipulations, and are not natural even to my people. They are powers that can be removed by simple genetic manipulation, and restored just as easily."

"So you could have your powers restored?" The President asked.

"I can, but would that not also give me an unfair advantage over your people? Kal El is an elitist. He flies and is invulnerable. He has great knowledge he keeps from you, and takes justice in his own hands. He flaunts his powers while keeping isolated from you, telling you that he does not lie, when in fact his whole life is a lie."

"Kal El has been on this planet for far longer than anyone has assumed, growing from childhood, learning your customs, your history. Kal El has a secret life. One that has as much power as his more public persona: one that doles out information and controls opinions."

"Oh, really? Next thing you'll try to tell us is that he works for _The Daily Planet_." General Lane quipped. The other occupants of the room laughed nervously.

"You would know, now wouldn't you, " General Zod replied smoothly, his toothy grin aimed directly at General Lane, "Isn't his spokesperson, Lois Lane, your daughter? Wasn't her son born shortly after he left? Weren't you the one who sent Kal El off on his little voyage? Isn't it your fault Superman hasn't been here for, what, five years?" All eyes turned to look at General Lane.

"Sam, is this true? You sent Superman away?"

"I presented him with data that we had received from a deep space probe that showed that Krypton had not been completely destroyed. Kal El made the decision to investigate it on his own. I had no idea that the images we received were faked, that somehow someone had hacked into the imaging system and uploaded old data."

"You refer to Superman as Kal El?" Zod tried to turn the conversation away from his manipulations, unhinged that this human would refer to a Kryptonian by his given name.

"That is his name, is it not? Superman is a title my daughter gave him when they first met, she didn't know what else to call him; and from what I understand it is a very good name, from a very respected family. I am honored that he considers my family his friends."

"You do know that I'll keep your secret, Clark, Lois. That little boy upstairs is just too important, too special to let just anyone get their hands on. I'll do whatever needs to be done to help you protect him."

"We appreciate that, Kat." Lois picked up her mug of tea. "I'm sorry I was so rough on you when you worked at _The_ _Planet_."

"You were just trying to protect what was your own. I just don't get why you were so insecure back then. Everyone has always known: Superman might serve the world, but he belongs to Lois Lane."

"Hey, I'm right here, girls," Clark blushed.

"No – Clark's here. _I_ don't see Superman anywhere in this house," Kat teased back.

"She's right, Smallville. There is nary a sign of red or blue. Just glasses and khaki, and the man I love."

"Oh, Pahleese, can't you two wait until I'm outta here?"

"Nothing's keeping you." Lois replied as she looked up at Clark.

"I guess you won't be wearing black for long."

"I think Lois looks good in black, though I prefer pink." Clark teased back, this time Lois blushed.

"You do realize that there is a child in the house," Kat sniped.

"How do you think he got here? He didn't crash his spaceship like his father did."

"Oh – I think it's time to go. Just don't let me know if you join the mile-high club, okay?" Kat walked out the door, "See you around, _Smallville. Mrs. Smallville_."

Feedback is welcome! Push the button, review. Thanks!


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: I'd like to thank those who take the time to review. Creative comments do help. DC and Warner own the rights to Superman, Clark Kent, etc. I'm just having fun creating havoc in his fictional life.**

It was the third morning that Clark awoke to his family snuggled against him. The third morning that he hadn't returned to emptiness. He was starting to get used to the routine: he'd return to the farm from his nightly rounds, attempt to move Lois to her bed in the guestroom only to have her plead with him to stay until she fell asleep claiming that she slept better when he was there. He had to admit he slept better. He smiled as he nuzzled her ear, taking in her scent, enjoying the warmth of her body against his. Clark's contentment grew as the wild curls of their little boy peeked from beneath the blankets he cocooned himself into. Jason would wander into their bed just before the sun would start to climb into the sky, snuggle up against his mother, and fall back to sleep.

Jason giggled and squirmed as Clark reached over Lois and tickled his son. Lois snuggled deeper under the covers, "It's too early," she moaned.

Suddenly he stopped his attack on his son as he heard a police broadcast. Leaping from bed, he dawned his famous suit, gazed lovingly at his wife – a designation he would never take for granted - and son, said a quick goodbye and flew off to Metropolis. A new day had begun.

Superman landed on a private beach a few miles south of Metropolis. The sun peeked through a bank of fog that stubbornly hugged the shoreline, gulls fought over some litter left on the sand. Police officers and medical examiners were already on the site; a body bag placed on a gurney was testament that this was not going to be a very good day.

"Superman!" Bill Henderson welcomed the hero, his hand outstretched.

"Detective Henderson," He could tell from the look on the officer's face that things were bad.

"We haven't seen you around much lately, how are you doing?"

Superman was a little embarrassed by the note of concern in the usually gruff detective. "I'm fine." He answered, "What do you have?"

"We have a white male, early to mid 50's. Looks as if he has been dead for a couple days."

Bill led Superman over to the gurney, and unzipped the body bag to reveal its contents: a very bloated, very dead Lex Luthor. "Bruising around the throat is consistent with strangulation. Looks like Mr. Luthor made the wrong person very angry," the detective remarked.

Superman blanched then took a step back, his body wracked in pain, his face visibly paling. "Kryptonite," he said weakly, backing away from the gurney to put as much distance from it as possible. From the way he felt it had to be a significant piece. His strength was rapidly fading.

"Search the body, Mahoney. Superman says there's Kryptonite." A rookie, who couldn't be much older than Jimmy started to search the body for the dangerous mineral.

"I found it! It looks like it's been broken," The young officer held up a broken shard of Kryptonite that was gripped tightly in the rigid hand of Superman's nemesis. Superman flinched as he realized that it must have been part of the shard Luthor stabbed him with. Henderson grabbed the offending crystal from the officer and dropped it into a metallic tube.

"We found another one, Sir," the young officer held up what appeared to be another Kryptonite crystal that had been in a hidden pocket of Luthor's jacket.

"This one isn't Kryptonite," Superman stated as he took the crystal to inspect it further. "It is a Kryptonian communication crystal." The green crystal indeed looked like Kryptonite, but on closer inspection the hue was deeper, more vivid than was common to Kryptonite.

"You bugged Luthor?" Henderson asked.

"Not me." Superman responded vaguely.

"But, then –"

"Zod."

"Why?"

"That's a good question. One I intend to find the answer to." Superman removed another odd shaped crystal from a pocket in his cape. It almost looked like a crystal candleholder. Placing the green crystal in the holder it began to vibrate. Images seemed to be projected from the crystal device: images of Lex Luthor meeting with very important members of congress and making backroom deals. That Zod would leave incriminating evidence proved to Kal El just how confident he was in his plan. That or plain recklessness and somehow he didn't think that was the case.

"Interesting gadget you have there, Superman. Does it work with DVD's?"

Superman chuckled at the officer's attempt to defuse a very tense moment. "You know, I haven't tried it."

After making a statement to police officers, Superman flew up into the stratosphere to soak in the healing rays of the sun. He hadn't realized how weakened he had become, so much recent exposure to Kryptonite seemed to be taking its toll on his body. Grabbing a few minutes to ponder the direction his life was headed, he knew that there was one thing he had to do before bringing his family back to Metropolis. The game was afoot.

Zod stood at the end of his roof garden, feeding on the early morning sunshine. He flexed his fingers into a fist and brought it down on a concrete pot, crushing it.

_Soon I will be unstoppable. Able to control governments, manipulate world powers, start and end wars. I will be a god on this primitive world, and not even Kal El will be able to stand against me. _

_As soon as I gain control of Krypton's knowledge library, the son of my jailer will have to submit to my authority, he will bow before Zod he and his half-breed bastard. _

"General…sir, a Mr. _Kent_ to see you," Zod's assistant interrupted his musings.

Zod smiled to himself at the news. "Please show him to the garden, then leave us. Take the rest of the morning to do whatever it is you do with your free time." Zod continued to look out at the city as Ms. Danvers directed Clark to the rooftop garden.

"Kal El, I have been waiting for you," Zod welcomed his guest without turning around.

"Excuse me General, my name is Clark Kent. I'm a reporter with _The Daily Planet_."

Zod turned to his guest, his chameleon like abilities hiding his thoughts, a trait he had learned years before Krypton was destroyed. He was glad that Kal El had never nurtured the ability to read minds, a trait quite common amongst Kryptonian aristocracy.

"Yes. I had hoped that you would have accepted my invitation to meet while I was still imprisoned. I am not the criminal you assume me to be, Kal El, nor am I a fool. No, it is the exact opposite: your father was the rebel, the breaker of laws: laws that are far older than this world.

"Your very existence on this world is a desecration of ancient law, and the child that you and your concubine have brought about is further evidence of _your father's_ mutiny. And you are a fool if you believe that a change of clothes, and a flimsy pair of glasses could hide your identity from me."

Kal El removed his glasses, placing them in his pocket.

"I never thought you were a fool, General. As for Ms. Lane, she is not my concubine."

"Excuse my ignorance, these humans don't care much for that term do they? So what should I call her: your girlfriend? No, that is too sophomoric. How about mistress?"

"You can call her my _wife_." Kal El answered, anger tinting his voice.

"The 'Great House of El,' joined with an insignificant human?"

"YOU of all people should not consider the daughter of a General insignificant."

Zod smiled inwardly, he was agitating his opponent, such an easy mark to anger. Kal El was almost human in his emotions. "Of course not. Please forgive me, I am just trying to assess my responsibilities in regards to the woman and her child. He is your son, is he not?"

"I would do my family and my people a disservice by denying my own son, General Zod."

"I suspected as much. Then I must do my duty, in regards to you, and your family," Zod asserted.

"And that would be?"

"It is _**my duty**_ to enforce galactic law – even over Kryptonian law. That was my real crime, my sedition. I enforced laws that my brethren felt were unfair, unjust. Laws that were established to control a corrupt, violent people that no longer existed, laws that contained those people to the confines of a slowly dying sun, unable to exist outside its bounds because of modifications made to their genetic structure." General Zod stood proud as he spat out his accusations.

"You and I survived, we live beyond Rao's boundaries," Kal El answered back.

"I can live here because my genes were never modified. I was allowed to exist outside our solar system. I was an emissary for Krypton; I needed to travel outside our bounds. That was my family's place, my duty. Ursa and Non did not have the genetic ability to produce antibodies, they were not needed on Krypton. They died after _YOU_ removed their invulnerability. Their bodies, unable to fight off the diseases of this world, succumbed quickly – and quite painfully I must add.

"Your father was part of a faction that felt that the genetic manipulations were no longer necessary, and refused to allow his child to be nurtured in a birthing matrix, never having the genetic constraints made through the matrix. This is why you survive.

"Your father wanted to allow certain collectives of Kryptonians to leave our world; to save the elite. I was accused of sedition when I tried to alert the people of Krypton as to what was happening. If the council had worked with me, instead of against me I could have gotten the constraints removed. I would have been able to plead our case to the Galactic Counsel. All Kryptonians could have been moved to a new world. We would have been free to travel, to explore. Krypton would have survived.

"Instead, your father and the others had me sent to the Phantom Zone. With me removed actions were set in motion, fail-safes removed. The planet was destroyed in an instant. It is your father's fault that our people perished. It was his genocide."

"Your story does not coincide with the record, General. I have seen the recordings of your trial, heard the testimony against you."

"Can you not believe that they have been altered? Are you that naive Kal El?"

"I believe the record, General. I see no evidence that it was altered."

"I can overlook the fact that your father broke galactic law in sending you here Kal El. I might even overlook that you first married then abandoned your human wife and child, flouting a sacred covenant that is honored even on Krypton. What I cannot overlook is the fact that you left Kryptonian technology unprotected on a primitive planet while you undertook an ill-fated journey back to our home world; technology that was stolen by a criminal whose sole goal in life was to destroy you. It was used against this world in an effort to turn its inhabitants against you.

"As the Head of Krypton's Security – by Kryptonian law – you are commanded to surrender **ALL** Kryptonian technologies in your possession, including the remnants of the Kryptonian Library – the knowledge crystals your father sent with you. You have one week to comply."

"And if I refuse?"

"Your crimes are many Kal El: the abandonment of your wife and unborn child, the neglect of the knowledge crystals, your very presence on this planet. If these charges were brought against you your credibility, your reputation will be lost. Your friends at The Daily Planet would not even be able to support you. I will bring into question your ability to raise a child as special as Jason, and I would request that I be granted custody. As the only other living Kryptonian how could the authorities refuse?"

"Your trip to Krypton has weakened you, Kal El. Returning to Rao as an adult has allowed cellular degeneration to begin. The wound you received from Lex Luthor introduced toxic levels of Kryptonite into your system as well. You do not have the strength to fight this battle. If you resist _your_ future and that of your child would be in jeopardy. You are dying, Kal El. It is only a matter of time.

"If you do not do the right thing, if you do not hand over control to me, the governments of this world will begin fighting for control of the fortress and the crystals. This world would be destroyed in a matter of days."

"If I am dying, General, I am sure that between myself and my father's crystals a cure can be found. I may have been raised in a simple manner, but neither am I a fool. I will not turn the fortress, the crystals, or my son over to you."

"We will see who the fool is, Kal El." Zod turned and walked back to his penthouse. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have other urgent matters to attend to." Zod closed the door leaving Clark to himself.

Lois stood at the fence enjoying the quiet solitude that the stay on the farm had afforded them. Jason was currently playing with Shelby: throwing an old ragged baseball as far as he could. The old dog would always look up at the boy then plod off to retrieve the ball, starting the game anew.

After another round of fetch was started Lois heard the tell-tell whoosh and quiet footfalls: Clark had returned from whatever had called him away earlier. Walking up behind her he placed his hand gently on the small of her back. Lois leaned back into him, her head on his strong chest, his arms wrapping themselves around her protectively his chin resting on her head. They stood there together, watching, content for the time being.

"If I didn't know better, I'd think that dog was baiting your son. He looks at him as if to say, 'thank you, but can't you throw it farther?'"

Clark's chuckle reverberated in his chest. Lois turned and saw a mischievous glint in his eye. "The day I got back, that morning I woke up and buried my ship in that field over there," he said pointing to the blackened field that Mr. Hubbard had been fretting over the day before. "Afterwards I stood at this fence and watched the sunrise: my first sunrise in five years." Clark paused and looked to the horizon.

"Shelby brought me his ball and I tossed it for him. I had to catch it – before it smashed into the ISS. Poor dog won't play fetch with me anymore. Guess I forgot how strong I am here."

"Who would have guessed: Superman has an ornery side," Lois chided, "Now I know where _your_ son gets it from."

Clark's eyes twinkled.

"You don't grow up on a farm, and not get an ornery gene. Dad used to talk about how he would pull the braids of the little girl who sat in front of him in grade school. One day, when she had enough of his pranks, she promised that she would get even with him."

"Did she?"

Clark smiled the biggest smile Lois had seen in a while; "Martha Clark was never one to trifle with."

_Martha Clark, _"So, they found you, put their names together, and unleashed their joint orneriness onto the world. I see."

Clark hugged her closer. His smile grew as he watched their son, who was now in rapt observation of a busy anthill.

"Where'd you go?" Lois asked.

"I had some things in Metropolis that I had to take care of."

Lois moved away, arms crossed, glaring at him. She knew from the look on his face that he would not divulge anything else. More secrets, damn Kryptonians and their secrets.

"No more secrets, Lois. I promise. I just don't want to discuss this in Jason's hearing."

"I swear you can read my mind, Clark."

"No, sweetheart, I just know you." Clark replied, kissing the top of her head. "I can tell from your face you aren't happy about this. You think I'm trying to keep you in the dark."

"Aren't you? Aren't you trying to 'protect' me?" Lois moved away from Clark.

"I can't protect you by keeping this a secret from you. But I do want to protect our son; he is too young to understand what is going on. And by you getting upset and yelling, you are going to draw his attention and he's going to ask questions. He is so much like you, Lois." Clark walked back towards Lois, pulling her into an embrace.

**Reviews are appreciated.**


	22. Chapter 22

**AN: I'd like to thank all of you who nominated Shattered Illusions for the SMVA. Don't forget to vote for your favorite stories and authors. And a big thank you to all of you who have taken the time to review my stories. I try to respond to everyone, but I might have missed a few. If I did I'm very sorry. I find all your comments very helpful.**

**Lastly a big thanks to my betas. **

Chapter 22

"I hate it when that happens," Lois complained as she shook off the disorientation that accompanied being transported intra-dimensionally.

"It is a bit disconcerting," Kal El agreed as he steadied her.

Lois bit back a snide remark as she noticed they were in Kal El's spacecraft. The bluish light cast a surreal glow adding to her discomfort. "Why are we here?"

"We needed a secluded spot to talk, and right now we can't use the fortress. Not until we get this thing with Zod settled." Kal El answered as he inserted a crystal into a miniature replica of the fortress's console.

"What exactly is this 'thing' with Zod?" Lois's temper was starting to get the better of her again. She didn't like not being in the know normally, but when it involved her family she hated it even more.

"_Revenge."_ Jor El's voice answered. _"Zod swore that he would cause my heirs to bow down to him after I cast the deciding vote against him – sentencing him to eternity in the Phantom Zone. He wants to bring the House of El to its knees."_

Lois was startled by the voice eminating from the crystalline walls surrounding them. This was one bit of Kryptonian technology she had a hard time adjusting to, she found the disembodied voices of her in-laws just plain creepy. That they inhabited some crystals was unnatural, even if they were nothing more than latent memories stored within.

"But that accomplishes nothing. He, Kal El and Jason are the only remaining Kryptonians. One would think that he would want to embrace them, not destroy them." Lois spoke into the air, not really knowing where to address the voice that spoke to her.

"That is not the way of the House of Zod. Too many wars in Krypton's past were caused by their blood feuds, much like the ones fought on your world."

"Lois, Kryptonians weren't that much different from humans, just more advanced from a technological perspective." Kal El explained.

Lois looked over to her husband. It was easier to think of him as Kal El when they were surrounded by so much of his Kryptonian technology and heritage. Even if he were dressed in blue jeans and flannel he would be Kal El instead of Clark here. Such a strange life he led, mixing his human upbringing with his Kryptonian heritage. He once told her that it wasn't confusing to him being Clark and Superman, but it sure was confusing to her. Trying to keep her husband's identities straight was as difficult as it was trying to understand the lessons on the Trinity she had to listen to in Sunday school as a child.

"Then explain why General Zod is trying to take everything away from you, why can't he just let it go, Kal El?" Lois put her hands on her hip, popping into the stance she always took when she was on the warpath.

"I can no more explain Zod's motivation to destroy me, than I could Lex Luthor's. I really don't understand that kind of hatred." A look of sadness filled Kal El's eyes, the depths of which she hadn't seen since the night he took her flying after he returned. The night she turned away from him.

"_Nor should you, my son. You were not raised to be self-centered, not on Krypton, nor on Earth."_

" _Dru Zod was indulged from infancy. He was given every opportunity, every desire filled, no need ever overlooked. _

_He looked for slights, would feign outrage, create opportunities to pick a fight then cry fowl when he was challenged. As he rose in power his arrogance increased. When he was conferred command of Krypton's defense he thought he would ascend to rule over all Krypton. When he was defeated he destroyed us all, by creating such discord in the counsel no outside voices were heard. They would not listen even to me when the warning was given."_

"Typical politician. He'll fit right in."

"Zod covets power – prestige. He knows the power of propaganda, and how to use it. He used it on Krypton to gain a following, for control. Here he could become another Stalin, or Hitler. Or something much more horrifying: through his knowledge of genetics he could create a new super race to subjugate humans to force them into his ultimate goal of intergalactic domination."

"I suppose he already has a machine?"

Kal El nodded, "We've already seen it at work."

Lois remembered how quickly the news outlets had begun reporting on The Planet's alleged alliance with rogue CIA agents. As if Richard were ever a rogue agent.

"He's also started to execute those who oppose him or those he no longer has use for. Though their murders will never be traced back to him." Lois watched as Kal El's gaze fell on her currently bare finger.

"Richard?" Lois shifted uncomfortably as the realization hit her. The explosion that killed her former fiancé was no accident, though she had already assumed as much, having it confirmed just made things a little more difficult for her already strained nerves. She slumped down on the berth, her shaky legs could no longer hold her up.

"I'm sure he's one, then there was the warden." Kal El paced the width of the chamber as he spoke.

Lois's hand flew to her mouth in shock, "That's right! His car was found in a ditch."

"His driver had this on his keys," Kal El pulled a small green crystal from a pocket in his cape. He let the key ring dangle from his finger.

Lois's eyes went wide. "Richard had one just like that! What is it? It almost looks like Kryptonite."

"It is a Kryptonian communications crystal. Very much like the one I sent along with Kal El, the one that built the fortress. Unlike that one, this can only send and receive transmissions, it contains no data, no special instructions."

"How did Richard and the warden end up with Kryptonian crystals?" Lois was starting to get into reporter mode now, her curiosity getting ahead of her fear for her family.

"My guess is Zod planted it, or someone working for him did." Kal El took another crystal from his cape, holding it out to her, "Lex Luthor had one as well."

"Lex Luthor?" Lois' eyes went wide with fear at the very mention of the man who almost killed her family. "How did –"

Kal El edged closer to his wife, "I heard a call this morning: a jogger found his body on a beach near Metropolis. It appears he was strangled then thrown into the ocean, but from what I found, he didn't die from strangulation. All the capillaries in his brain exploded, he died of an aneurism."

"Exploded? How?"

"_Zod."_

Lois gasped.

"_It is easy enough to mimic an aneurism. There were some Kryptonians who were telepathic. Zod is one. He must have overloaded Luthor's brain: by pinpointing certain areas and overwhelming them he could easily create an aneurism causing sudden death. It was an ancient form of assassination on Krypton, it was very hard to prove even with our advanced methods. _

"_That is one of the reasons why Kryptonians decided to stay away from other worlds. It was too easy for us to hurt or kill other beings, either with our minds, or our physical strength, which was great even under a red sun. If someone decided that they wanted control, who could stand against them?"_

"Zod told me that there was a galactic decree, that Kryptonians had been genetically modified so that they could not leave Rao's orbit. That others deemed us too dangerous."

"_That was true, at one point in time. Many centuries ago our genetetics had been modified so that we could not exist outside our sun's influence. But those modifications were removed generations ago. Kryptonians were able to leave the planet, and were no longer feared by others. We chose not to leave, fearing our powers, and ourselves. _

Lois stood and gathered her husband into a hug. She looked at his face, his eyes spoke volumes; she finally understood how great a burden it was he carried. She knew why it was he left and was at peace with it. She stood on her toes, bringing his head down to hers. Her eyes closed, her mouth open with an invitation for him. She kissed him deeply to show him that she would never fear him; could never fear him. She finally forgave Superman for leaving them, for leaving her.

Kal El broke the kiss, and started pacing again.

"There's more. Zod is working to discredit us, to destroy our reputations. He's using the media against us, his machine is running full force. If Lane, Kent and the Daily Planet are no longer reliable, if he can build up a big enough anti-Superman following –"

"We loose our credibility. Our careers would be over, the Planet would be shuttered."

"If he gains control of the press, controls opinions, he'll have won. All that Superman stands for, all that we have worked towards will be lost. There will be no freedom, no justice. Truth will be relative to Zod's whims. There would be none to oppose him.

"Father, Zod wants the fortress, and the crystals. He is demanding that I turn them over to him within a week." Lois recognized the determined look on her husband's face. People thought that she was a force to be reckoned with, they didn't know Clark Kent very well. She could be tenacious, but Kal El - Clark - was indomitable, there was no way he was going to back down to Zod, not now.

"What will he do if you refuse?"

"We're about to find out. It's time to go back to Metropolis and face this head on."

"Are you sure there is no other way, Kal El?" Lois was never one to back down from a fight, but this was different, this one threatened the men she loved. Zod had already proved that he would not hesitate to kill those who got in his way. This time Zod was more than ready to go up against Superman.

"General Zod must be stopped at all costs, Lois-Kal El. He cannot be allowed to gain access to the knowledge crystals, the fortress or Kal El's son. If he does there will be no stopping him. He will do to your world what he attempted to do to ours. He would force all of humanity to do his bidding until he grew bored. Then he would travel to other worlds to conquer them, restoring the old fear and hatred of Kryptonians that once was common to all the known galaxies. Your children would have no chance at life anywhere in this universe."

**Chapter 23 is ready and waiting. Just need some encouragement to post it. Please review!**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Another big thanks to my Betas, and to those who reviewed the last chapter. This chapter gets a little spicy at the end. I hope you like it.**

Clark loaded the last of the luggage into the rear compartment of General Lane's Escalade. _How did we get so much stuff in just a few days? Well, it is Lois._ With Jason, Sam and Perry's luggage, and his carry-on there was more than enough to fill the back of the SUV.

"I don't want to go back to Metropolis, not yet." Lois leaned up against the SUV, her arms crossed over her chest. The petulant look on her face reminded Clark of the overly tired five-year-old they dealt with last night.

"It's just, I don't want to go back to not seeing you, not being able to touch you, hold you. When we get back to work, I'm going to have to act like I'm grieving over Richard and I feel awful because I'm not."

Clark pulled Lois into his arms. It was amazing how often he had done so that the last few days. It felt wonderful after so many years of dreaming of holding her as he now was.

"You _**are**_ grieving, Lois. You are just doing it differently. Perry is acting as if nothing has happened, and is constantly on the phone with Jimmy. You walk around here in a daze, and you refuse to sleep in your own bed." He brushed a strand of hair from her eyes, and laid a peck on her forehead as he caressed her beautiful face.

Lois smiled, "But when we get back we'll have to deal with CSD, Zod, and the press. And I'll have to sleep alone in that big house." Clark heard an uncharacteristic whine in her voice, the same one that broke his heart and caused him to try to block her memory.

"We are the press," he responded glibly, trying to lighten up her mood.

"Exactly." Lois pressed her hands against Clark's chest, pushing slightly away from him.

"And you won't have to sleep alone, not if you don't want to." Lois looked up at Clark, eyebrow raised. "Jason quite enjoys snuggling with his mommy," Clark teased, as he pulled her closely to kiss her properly.

"You are incorrigible, Mr. Kent," Lois laughed into his kiss.

"I've learned from the best," Clark wanted to add Mrs. Kent to his statement, but wasn't sure if Lois was quite ready for that, or if she'd even use that name. The couple suddenly got very uncomfortable.

"It's okay. We _are_ married, Clark. You told Perry as much, and he told Jimmy that I never got around to filing for a divorce. And I pretty much announced to the whole bullpen that Jason was your son." Lois paused a moment. "So, I guess pretending that there isn't anything between us really isn't an option."

Clark looked at his wife once again amazed at how quickly she shifted gears. Nodding his head in agreement, Lois was almost purring as he continued to stroke her face. "Uh huh, _and_ Perry did take the time to rustle up a marriage license for us." He murmured almost hypnotized by her beauty. He could never get enough of her.

"And you have been taking care of Jason and me since the explosion." She closed her eyes. Clark didn't need to use his super-hearing to hear her heart speed up as he continued his caressing her skin with his lips.

"I have been." Clark kissed her neck, in the spot he remembered drove her wild. He was starting to get carried away as well.

Lois pushed away, the fire back in her eyes, "Then why should we go back to the way it was? CSD is trying to claim that I'm an unfit mother. With Richard gone it would be all the easier for them to take him. What if they give him to Zod?"

"I love you, Lois Lane, and I love my son. I won't let them take him from us." Clark spoke in his Superman timbre, hoping his confident tone would reassure her.

"That's Lane-Kent to you Mister. _I am your wife_," Lois teased.

"So you are." Clark smiled at her voracity. The thing he loved about her the most was her ability to change on the fly. One needed superpowers just to keep up with this woman.

"No regrets?"

"No regrets. Not unless you suddenly forget something really important: like who the top reporter at _The Planet_ is, or my morning coffee."

"I remember, you like to be on top." Clark whispered in her ear. Lois slapped at him blushing at the double entendre that he used to volley at her when they first started working together. Clark chuckled at her embarrassment.

General Lane laughed, "I thought that could never happen." Lois and Clark both jumped, startled that they hadn't heard the General's approach. "I should write an article; _How to Sneak Up on Superman:_ First make sure that he is completely enraptured in Lois Lane…."

It was Clark's turn to blush.

"Daddy!" Lois pulled away from Clark's embrace and turned a fiery glare at her father.

General Lane's demeanor suddenly changed, "All teasing aside, I do have an important matter to discuss with you both. If I could pull you two apart that is." The General's bearing was far from reassuring, his teasing manner gone faster than Lois switching from Mommy to Mad Dog Lane. Clark figured that was where she got it from.

"What is it, Dad?"

"I had a meeting with the president and his cabinet yesterday."

"We know. You're always in meeting with the president."

"This one was different. This meeting was personal. It was about you, your partner, and a spaceship that was found in a cornfield many years ago. I'm sorry Clark, General Zod knows who you are."

"We know. Clark spoke with him." Lois crossed her arms and looked off into the yard. Jason was playing nearby, and by the look on her face Clark knew she was worried that their son could hear their discussion.

"So, um, what exactly did he say?" Clark had hoped to avoid this conversation, but he knew that it was inevitable. Zod was not one to just rattle sabers, he would eventually press the field. Then he'd stand by, watch the battle, and claim the spoils.

"Just that Superman has been on Earth longer than anyone has known about, and that he has a secret life. That he deals in shaping opinions and doling out information. I laughed and tried to divert the conversation. I don't know if I did much good, the seed has been planted. Questions are going to be asked. Someone is going to dig up the truth about Clark Kent. "

"It's only a matter of time," Clark agreed. "Lois and I are going to have to figure out how much we are really willing to make public if we are going to make any sort of life with each other. We need to divert attention away from me, and back to Zod." Clark started pacing, "We have to keep Superman's identity secret. If we hope to have any peace, any chance for a normal life for Jason, we have to protect our secret."

Stopping his pacing he turned to his father-in-law. "General, do you mind accompanying Perry and Jason to the airport yourself? I think I would like to take _my wife_ on a more private route. We have a lot to talk about."

"I'll make up some explanation about why you aren't coming with us. You two go on ahead. How about we meet up in Metropolis before the service tomorrow? I'm sure that you could use some time to figure things out without an extra set of ears listening in."

"Thank you, Dad," Lois said. Clark noticed her heart rate accelerate with anticipation; it had been a while since they took a romantic flight together.

"Think nothing of it. If you'd like I can keep Jason with me a few days after the funeral. Claire is always complaining that I see too little of my family. And for a housekeeper to complain about the lack of visits, it must be more than obvious that I'm shirking my responsibility as a grandfather. An added plus is that no snoopy CSD officer can harass him while he's with me."

Clark turned to Lois, "We do have a lot to take care of. Lois, you don't have to go back to the house right away, if you don't want to. I have plenty of room at my place."

"I'll have to go back eventually, all our stuff is there. But it just won't feel right without Richard. The lease is over in about eight weeks, and we had just started thinking about making an offer on it. Richard never really was ready to commit to staying in one place."

"He never really pushed you for a date either, did he?"

"Nope, that was all Jimmy, though we did have a couple battles over you." Clark's heart dropped at the memory of the conversation he overheard when he first returned, one where she stated that she had never loved him. He knew now that that was a lie.

Clark looked around the farm, x-raying the house to make sure they didn't leave anything important behind. Martha and Ben had left for the day, Martha making the excuse that she had been neglecting her beau, allowing him to pack at super speed. Clark changed into his suit in a blur. Looking to Lois, his voice cracked with the nervous energy that filled him. "Are you ready to go home, Mrs. Kent?"

Lois looked up at her husband, wrapping her arms around his neck, her face turning crimson as she looked at her feet. "I think I'm going to need those," she said as she knelt down to pick up the shoes she had automatically kicked off.

"I'll take those." Superman said, his voice its usual calm, confident tone. He took Lois's shoes and placed them in a pocket in his cape. Wrapping Lois into his arms, her head resting against his chest. They rose gently into the sky. "We'll see you in Metropolis, General," Superman called out as they flew off.

"Don't worry about meeting us at the airport, I've arranged for a limo to pick us up. I'll take good care of Jason. We'll see you at the funeral tomorrow."

Lois snuggled against his chest as Superman flew them through the cloud canopy. The clouds shrouded them in a fog. Superman looked into her eyes, his gaze slowly moving down to her lips. He gently began kissing her, her lips parting, inviting him to deepen the kiss. It had been too long, and though Richard had been a good man, her heart had never belonged to him. There had always been too many secrets between them. Here in the clouds she knew that her life was just about to begin. There were no secrets between them, no need for power struggles. She knew she could trust him completely - that he would never do anything to hurt her, or their son. Even if he wasn't always present, he was always around. For the first time in five years Lois Lane was safe.

Their flight to Metropolis was breathtaking. They took their time, enjoying each other's company. Lois always enjoyed flying this way, with him, defying the very laws of nature. It was so quiet when they flew, a time to reflect, to dream.

Superman slowly descended into a quaint little postage stamp yard behind an old Victorian brownstone. A freshly painted white picket fence surrounded the meticulously manicured yard. Large trees surrounding the lot gave the couple plenty of privacy. Superman was instantly replaced by Clark, who gently lifted his wife to carry her over the threshold of their new home.

"Isn't this a little old fashioned, Smallville?" Lois squirmed in his arms.

"As I recall, you didn't let me do this the last time."

"We were on assignment, Clark. Besides –" Clark ended all further argument by kissing Lois.

Lois could barely breathe, their lives were changing faster than she could imagine. It was a good change, but it was change. The growling in her stomach distracted her, "How about showing me around our new home? We can start with the kitchen; I really could use something to eat about now."

"You certainly haven't changed in that aspect, have you? First and foremost is 'what's to eat?'"

"First line of survival. _And_ I use a lot of energy trying to keep up with your son." Lois stretched up on her tiptoes and gave Clark a smack on his lips as she turned towards what she assumed was the kitchen, since a heavenly aroma was coming from that direction. Clark knew her well, but when did he have time to get dinner?

"Clark, I was wondering," Lois asked after she was filled with the Chicken Adobo and rice that Clark had warming in the oven. "Why did you come back? I mean you had a ship, you were somewhere across space, you could have gone anywhere, seen any and everything. You could have gone to other worlds, explored the galaxy, 'gone where no man has gone before.'"

"I came back because of you, Lois. I came back for you. I know it sounds cheesy, but without you I'm nothing. Even on Krypton, men were not created to be alone. We need others in our lives: we need a helpmate. You are mine, and I hope I am yours."

Lois blushed, and looked down at her lap, fidgeting with her napkin. "I missed you, Clark. I missed us. Nothing was the same while you were gone. I wasn't the same, everyone said it: I was missing something. I was missing my foil, my fire. They thought that I was off because Superman was gone. They were only half right; what they didn't know was that I was missing you, my partner, my lover, my best friend."

Clark stood up and walked around the table, taking Lois's hand he gently escorted her to their bedroom.

"We don't need to miss each other anymore." He said as he lifted her into the large cherrywood sleigh bed, kissing her with all the passion he had stored the last five years. Clark made love to his wife freely, enjoying what was only his to enjoy, what he had dreamed of doing for the last several years. Her lips were like wine to him, completely intoxicating. The way he felt as her fingers strummed over his muscles; tightening as she reached her peak, the way she relaxed in his arms when they had exhausted their passion. He was finally complete.

They lay in bed together, Clark gently running his finger over the silvery threads left in the skin of Lois's abdomen, the last reminders that their son had once resided there. He gently placed a kiss on the largest of the marks, resting his chin on her stomach. "Thank you, Lois."

Lois continued to run her fingers through his hair. "For what?"

"For Jason, for you, for this," Clark shifted his body so that he once again was over her. "I love you, Lois." He started kissing her again, this time with more fire, more passion than the last. "I love you."

**Please let me know what you think. Review.**


	24. Chapter 24

**I'm back! After a summer of weddings, a garden that took over half my yard, looking into a new opportunity, as well as the usual summer insanity at work, I've finally found the time to get back to writing.**

**Thank you all who have reviewed, you bring me smiles when I am struggling with continuing on with this story. **

Martha sat at her kitchen table with Ben, enjoying a quiet cup of coffee. She loved doting over her son's family, but it was nice to get back into her usual routine.

"Think that they've started the services yet?" Ben asked looking at the old clock radio that sat in the kitchen window.

"They must have, Clark said that the service was at eleven." Martha picked up her mug, her hand shaking from the weight of the cup. A jolt of electricity shot through her head, causing her to drop the cup, it shattering on the wood floor. She tried to cry out, but her voice would not come. The pain behind her eyes becoming more excruciating as the seconds passed. She tried to cover her eyes against the light, but her arms would not cooperate. Her body went numb and she fell limp.

"Martha!" Ben cried out as he saw her slump to the ground.

Superman descended from the sky alighting near a cloth-covered table. A small metal box sat in the center of the table next to an easel with a portrait of Richard White placed upon it. Reverently Superman lifted the small coffin and slowly ascended back into the clouds, balloons released by the mourners joined him on his journey up; a symbol of their prayers for the fallen. As Superman reached the agreed upon altitude he opened the casket, releasing the remains of the man he wished he could have known better, one that had earned his respect in the short amount of time they spent together.

As the last of the ash poured out of the box, Clark heard the anguished cries of Ben Hubbard. Listening as he flew west he knew that he had very little time to save his mother, her heartbeat becoming more irregular, her breathing shallow.

"Hold on, mom." He thought to himself as he sped off, the boom left in his wake alerting the observers below that he was called away.

Ben leapt to his feet, rushing to Martha's aid, crying out as he realized his companion was dying. He hadn't yet reached the other side of the table as the back door flew open and a red-blue blur swooped into the kitchen. Ben stood stalk still as Superman raced to the stricken woman, sweeping her limp form into his arms, anguish written on his face.

"I'm here, you'll be okay. Everything will be okay." Superman brushed a loose strand of hair from Martha's face, her eyes wide as she struggled to speak.

"C–"

"It's okay, I'm here." Superman looked up at Mr. Hubbard, "What happened?"

Ben Hubbard was seldom speechless. Usually he had the latest gossip and an opinion on everything, but what he had just witnessed left him totally baffled. Superman was here in the Kent's kitchen caring for Martha Kent as if she were the most special person in the world. He had never heard of such a thing. Why would Superman care about an elderly widow in Kansas? Suddenly, Martha, and Superman vanished, and Ben was left to wonder by himself.

Kal El placed the fragile woman on the berth that had housed his sleeping form while he traveled across the expanse hoping to find an anchor. White light scanned her body while he stood helpless, waiting for some sort of miracle.

After what seemed hours a voice spoke from the air, _"Kal El, I see Zod's hand in this. That is the only explanation for such a thing to happen to so healthy a human."_

Superman checked Martha's pockets, finding a small green crystal key-fob, similar to the one found on Luthor's body. He held the crystal in his open hand.

"_That is the weapon that Zod used against Martha Kent. It was banned centuries ago. It allows those with telepathic powers to pinpoint their enemies, and assassinate them."_

"I figured as much. I found another one earlier on one of my enemies, who died suddenly as well. Could the molecule chamber heal her?"

"Krypton's knowledge of human physiology is limited, Kal El. The molecule chamber can repair a limited amount of damage. She may be in good health, but she is very fragile."

"Will she recover without it?"

"_I do not know. This attack saddens me as much as it does you, my son. To her we owe a great debt of gratitude; One that the house of El could never begin to repay."_

Looking at the woman who lay motionless, his heart broke at the thought of losing the only mother he had ever known. He thought of the years of secrets she held, the lonely life she lived after he left. She was only just now allowing herself the freedom to reach out to others, and now this. But he knew that given the choice today, she still would have chosen to take in a little child that was rocketed across the galaxy, and raise him as her own. Her love, her sacrifice had made him the man he was today. She gave him the hope that allowed him to once again don the suit and return as Superman.

"No, Father, we can never repay her. Though I think she would say the same thing to you."

"_Kal El, Zod directed this attack towards you, towards those you care for. __**You**__ are the head of the House of El. Zod is challenging you. You __**must**__ defend the House of El, and all its members. You cannot allow Zod to continue unchecked._

"I don't understand?"

"Your family needs you to do what is necessary, what is right."

Now Kal El was even more puzzled. Was his father really asking him, telling him to destroy Zod. "What you are asking me to do would be murder. What about the law?"

"General Zod has defied all laws, both human and Kryptonian. There is no world in which the atrocities he has committed would be condoned. The very decrees he is hiding behind to gain access to the fortress are the very laws that condemn him. It is up to you to put an end to this.

"I'm sorry, my son, that we left you with this legacy. We should have dealt with Zod before he became a threat to any other world. Our arrogance in thinking that the Phantom Zone would hold such a one for eternity was wrong."

Superman walked over to the table that held Martha. She lay there motionless, as if she were in state, her chest rising and falling almost imperceptively. Tenderly he lifted her frail frame into his arms, bringing her forehead to his lips; tears fell freely. "I love you, Mom. Thank you. Thank you for all you have done for me, for finding me, for raising me, for loving me. I wouldn't be who I am without you."

Superman landed near the porch, his footsteps not enough to bring Ben out of his current contemplation. Ben, he noted, was sitting on the swing, a large envelope on his lap, unopened. A squeek from a loose board startled the old man, causing him to look up, his eyes reddened from tears.

"I couldn't open it," he said, referring to the envelope in his lap.

"It's okay, Mr. Hubbard." Superman smiled comfortingly. "Let's hope you don't need to. I took her to Metropolis. Her son is there –" Superman paused to reign in his emotions. Standing there on the porch of his childhood home speaking to his mother's companion while she lay in a hospital bed. It just didn't seem right.

Taking in the familiar sights the farm, the smells of suppers, and breakfasts, the crops and animals. The helplessness he felt when Jonathan Kent died returned full force, and it took all his superhuman strength to overcome it.

"I can take you to her now." He said as he walked over and wrapped his arm around Ben. He felt Ben tense at his touch, and smirked at his unease. Carefully they rose from the Earth.

Ben had learned to fly during the Korean War, flying fighters, 'copters, he even had a couple turns at being a test pilot flying the Blackbird. Even now he had occasion to fly a Cessna with his friends in the Civil Air Patrol. But none of that prepared him for the excitement of flying with a being that could defy gravity. If it weren't for the fact that Superman was flying him to Metropolis to wait by Martha's bedside, he would have relished the flight. As it was, it helped him to bring his thoughts into focus. He had so many questions to ask this amazing man, but he doubted that he would get a chance to ask even one.

Superman touched down near the ambulance entrance of Metropolis General. The large complex was bustling with people entering and exiting, ambulances arriving and leaving. It was strange for Ben. A few short weeks ago he stood outside this same building with Martha as she waited for word on her son. Clark had been somewhere inside this building, supposedly unconscious. And so was the man who had just brought him here.

"Lois and Clark will be here shortly. Thank you for being here for her." Superman looked towards the building. Ben wondered what had caught his attention.

"Can I ask you one question, Superman?"

Superman smiled at the older man's boldness, "I think you just did," He replied teased, then turning serious, "What is it you would like to ask?"

Superman's teasing tone reminded Ben of someone very familiar, "What is so special about Martha Kent?"

"I think you already know." Superman said, lifting his arms to the sky he jetted up, disappearing into the clouds.

Lois had spent the last hour being consoled by well-meaning peers, politicians, and friends. As the last of the well-wishers left she was finally left alone on the dock were Richard's plane remained tethered, a reminder that he would never again take her or their son into the clouds. Perry, Jimmy and Lois's father stood by the temporary memorial that had been erected for the occasion, discussing the current status of Lois and Clark's relationship, the threats from Zod towards Superman, and the future.

Kat Grant had taken it upon herself to make sure that Lois would have as little to deal with as possible. Whether Lois wanted to admit it or not, the loss of Richard was a deep blow to her, and Kat knew that she needed as many friends around as possible.

Kat walked down the stone path to the floating dock where Lois stood watching the sky. "He left in a hurry, it must have been important. He's been gone for a while."

"I'm worried about him, Kat," Lois confided in her friend.

"I am too. He doesn't seem to be himself." Kat fidgeted with the strand of black beads hanging from her neck. The vintage black felt suit hat she wore looked like something Kitty Kowalski would wear, though it did give Kat more of an air of respectability than normal.

"What do you mean?" Lois shifted nervously. She'd noticed the same thing, but she hoped that nobody else had.

"He hasn't stopped as many crimes, or helped in many disasters. When he does show up, he doesn't even stop and wave to the crowds anymore."

"He's been a bit distracted lately. There has been a lot on his plate."

"There's more to it than that. He seems tired, like he is running on half a charge."

"Funny you should put it that way." Lois snipped.

Kat glared back at Lois.

"He's been through a lot Kat. He left to see what was left of his home world only to find it rubble. He called it a graveyard. He returns to the only home he's ever known and finds that everything is different: His mother is dating, the love of his life is promised to another man and has a son, and the world is literally tearing itself apart."

"And his nemesis had broken into the only remnant of his original home, and tried to use it to against this world. I'm so sorry I was a part of that Lois.

"That day was horrible. After Lex shot the crystal into the ocean, I wanted to grab you and run, but where could we go, we were on a boat. I can't fly. He said he was going to kill billions. He would have, and there was nothing I could do to stop him."

Lois saw the pain etched in Kat's face. Her eyes had lost their mischievous glint that was replaced by a hardness that could only be from some horrific event. A slight breeze was starting to blow a chill across the bay. Lois shivered as she listened to Kat recite the story of what happened that day that seemed so long ago.

"On the island they beat him, threw him in the air, tried to drown him in a puddle of filthy water. I could only stand by as the most powerful man on earth was beaten to a pulp. Then Lex stabbed him in the back, told him to fly. Superman fell off the cliff and into the ocean. I thought he was dead."

"He was almost dead when we found him. Richard didn't want to go back at first, but I begged him to. I knew he was dying, I could feel it."

Movement behind Kat caught Lois's eye; Clark was walking towards them. Lois ran up to meet him. He looked terrible: his eyes were red as if he were crying, shaken. She had seen him after difficult rescues before, but he had never looked so defeated.

"What is it? Are you okay? Clark?" Lois's voice drew the attention of their son, who had been standing silent sentry near his daddy's plane, tracing the numbers with his fingers. If Lois had not been distracted she would have scolded him for being so close to the edge of the dock.

"Dad?" Jason ran to his father, throwing his arms around his legs to hug him.

Clark looked down at his son, the love and gratitude for such a precious gift there for all to see. Clark placed his hand on Jason's head, and ruffling his wild hair, the feel of its soft downy texture charging his already supercharged emotions. Tears fell freely. He turned his blue eyes to Lois, giving her a bittersweet smile "My mom, she had a stroke."

Lois's face softened with concern, "How – ?"

"Superman heard Ben Hubbard cry out for her. He got there as soon as he could. She's at Metropolis General. He told me to meet them there."

"Will she be okay?" Kat asked.

Clark looked over Lois's head at Kat and the others who had now joined them. He hated being a burden to others, but right now he needed his friends and family.

"I don't know," He answered honestly. "All I know is that it shouldn't have happened. General Zod caused her stroke." Clark's face was hard, the muscles of his jaw twitched as he clenched it. He felt the heat of his anger building behind his eyes.

"There is a time for mercy, and a time for justice. The time for mercy has passed." He said quizzically.

"Clark, what are you saying?" For the first time Lois was afraid of Clark's unrestrained power. She had never seen this gentle being so angered.

"Zod has overstepped his bounds. The people of Krypton showed him mercy, and he retaliated by triggering its destruction. The people of Earth gave him opportunity for redemption. Instead he chooses a path of domination, and will stop at nothing short of murder to accomplish that goal."

"How can you be sure that it was him?" Lois asked.

"It was a warning. Nobody who is close to me is safe," Clark looked over to Perry and Jimmy, "it isn't safe to be a friend to anyone who opposes Zod."

"It's never safe to be in our line of work, Son. It is even less safe when you go up against a despot," Perry shot back.

"Why would Zod send you a warning, Clark?" Jimmy asked nervously, "Why would Zod want to hurt your mother or you?"

"Because Clark helped Superman defeat him, Jimmy," Lois offered, "Now Zod wants to bring down Superman using any means possible. One way was to bring up questions about Jason's paternity." Lois looked at her son, who was now in his father's arms resting his head on his broad shoulders.

"What's patternety?" The child asked in a sleepy voice.

Clark shuffled his son in his arms so he could better see him, "Paternity determines who your father is."

"But you're my father," Jason answered innocently.

Clark pressed his lips to his son's head, "Yes, I am, I most certainly am."

"Clark Kent? Lois Lane?" A voice interrupted. The woman from the bullpen the other day had returned, this time accompanied by two uniformed police officers. "I have a court order that you hand Jason White over to me immediately."

Clark looked angrily at the woman, "On what grounds?" Jason tightened his grip around his father.

"Child neglect and endangerment. We will keep him in state's custody until the court is satisfied that the boy is being properly cared for, and is protected unsafe individuals."

Lois placed a hand on her hip, cocking her head to the side "And who are these unsafe individuals?"

The CSD agent smiled as she handed Lois the court order, "Superman."

Jason looked up at his father, tears forming in his eyes. "Superman isn't a bad person" the boy yelled. "All he wants to do is help!" He jumped from his father's arms faster than Clark expected, and ran up to one of the officers kicking him. He didn't even try to hold back on the force of his kick, the sound of bone breaking sicking those around. The officer grabbed his leg and fell to the ground, stunned that a small child could deliver such a blow.

"Jason, stop!" Clark said firmly, "This isn't going to help. I won't let anything happen to you. Do you understand?" He gave the woman a glare allowing just a glint of fire come to surface. "You don't know what you are doing, or who you are dealing with." He warned. Lois grabbed her son in a tight embrace.

The other officer pulled the child from his mother's arms, "You're lucky we don't add obstruction to the complaint," he smirked. Clark recognized the officer as one that he and Lois had run-ins with on several occasions. The man had a firm dislike of Clark's alter-ego, and had no qualms about letting those with whom he worked with know.

Walking over to his frightened son, Clark placed his hand on the child's back to quiet him. "Don't fight them, Son." Clark said disheartened, then whispered quietly, "I love you, you'll be okay, I promise." Inside Jason's pocket, a small crystal lay emitting a faint comforting pulse and an assurance of protection by an unseen force.

**Review Please!**


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: I know, I know. It's been a while. I hope that this chapter makes up for the long break between chapters. I promise the next chapter won't take as long.**

**Thanks to my betas for their work in making this story more readable. Sometimes my fingers pick a comma when it should be a period, or leave out letters that should be there.**

Lois watched helplessly as the CSD worker and the two police officers walked off with her son. Clark placed a firm hand on her shoulder, "We have to let them go."

Lois's anger erupted. "Let them go! We just let them take our son. You stood by and did nothing! HOW COULD YOU LET THEM TAKE OUR SON?"

"They had a court order. We had to let them take him. Nobody is above the law, Lois. We both know that. It is something that _MY_ son has to understand." Clark stood before her, but his bearing was that of his alter ego. "We have to teach him to respect the law and those who enforce it, even if they are fallacious. He has to learn to do the right thing, no matter what the consequences, or he will become another Zod." Clark put his finger under Lois's chin lifting her face to look into his eyes. She knew that it was as difficult for him as it was for her, maybe even more so. But there was a different type of pain in his face, physical pain. Was there kryptonite nearby? She was puzzled.

"Jason will be okay, Lois," General Lane promised as he placed his hand on her other shoulder.

"They were expecting Superman to show up, weren't they?" Lois asked, looking over to her father, "They had kryptonite, didn't they?"

General Lane didn't answer. She looked to Clark, his eyes averting hers; instead he looked off into the distance, watching as the car carrying their son disappeared down the street.

"They did!" Lois was frantic. She lowered her voice. "They exposed our son to kryptonite! They exposed you. You couldn't do anything, but why was Jason so strong?"

The group gathered together on the dock huddled together against the cold. The waves knocked the small plane against its moorings.

"Lois, I promise you, they won't hurt Jason. I'll send my best person to keep an eye out for him." Sam tried to console his daughter.

"Your best person? We just finished his funeral." She hissed looking up into the sky where a short while ago Richard's remains were released to the wind. Clouds had moved in and rain began pelting down. A chill threatened to turn the rain into slush before morning. The incoming storm felt like a metaphor for Lois's life at the moment.

"Richard was good. He was the best person to take care of you, of Jason - at the time. Now, if I understand correctly, Superman took Clark's mother to Met General. Shouldn't you both be there?" Sam tried to divert Lois's concern.

"But they just took my son!" Lois argued, then, with an accusatory look snapped to Clark, "And you LET THEM!"

"Lois, it would be best if you and _your husband_ continue this discussion later. General Zod is using one of the oldest strategies in the book: divide and conquer. Go take care of Mrs. Kent. I'll see to Jason. Nothing will happen to him on my watch, you have my word."

"Some good your word is," Lois snipped. "You all just stood there as the grabbed him from my arms."

General Lane ignored Lois's last comment. He pulled a cigar from his pocket, and carefully cut off the ends. It was a sign Lois knew well. He had a plan, and he wasn't going to share it.

"After you get Clark's mom taken care of, I'll meet you at the hospital. Mr. Olsen, will you make sure that the kids get to Met General? Ms. Grant, you know what to do?"

Kat nodded to the General.

"Ms. Lane, if you give me the keys to your car, I'll drive you and Mr. Kent to the hospital," Jimmy offered, knowing that was the best thing for him to do at the moment. Lois looked at the young man in confusion.

"Ms. Lane?" Jimmy asked again.

"Oh, right. You need my keys." Lois paused, "They're hanging on the hook by the garage door, in the kitchen."

Jimmy smiled as he jogged towards the house, happy that he could do something to help ease his friend's burdens. The others slowly made their way back as well.

Perry opened his umbrella and handed it to Clark. "Don't want my best reporters out because they caught cold."

Something about the way that Clark Kent looked at officer Powell shook her to her core. She could have sworn that his looks **could** kill, the way his eyes glowed…. She shook the absurd thought from her mind; people can't shoot fire from their eyes. Well, MOST people. Superman could, but there was no way that that dork could be Superman. Jessica looked over to the little boy who was strapped into a booster seat next to her. He was a very pretty boy. It was a shame that his mother cared so little for him. He was standing very close to the edge of the dock, and the woman didn't even seem to notice. Granted, she just said goodbye to her fiancé, but he could have fallen in the bay!

Jessica noticed that the boy's complexion was a bit pasty, and his skin had a bluish tint to it. He also had a slight wheeze. She put her hand on the back of his head to check his temperature. He did seem a little warm. They said he was sickly, that he had some pretty severe allergies and lung problems.

"How about we get you something to eat?" She asked the child, hoping that eating would smooth the transition to State's care. He'd be taken to the family court building and placed in a suitable foster home, but for now it was her responsibility to take care of the child. Jason just looked at her with big blue sad eyes and shrugged.

"How about we get you a nice grilled cheese sandwich and some tomato soup, and maybe some cocoa?" She asked as the officer driving the car started to pull into a restaurant parking lot. "It'll help take some of the chill off."

Jason looked at her shocked. Didn't she know that he couldn't have that? Mommy usually told people what he could eat before he went with them. Even his friends' mommies had a list.

"I can't eat that." He stated matter-of-factly, "No wheat, no dairy."

Ms. Powell was confused, "No wheat? No dairy?"

Jason shook his head. "They make me sick."

Okay, so much for traditional kids fare. "How about fried chicken?"

"Not fried, the breading." Jason shook his head. This lady didn't know much, did she?

"Right, flour. Clam chowder?"

Jason scrunched his nose.

Fine. "Then we'll get some grilled chicken and French fries. Doesn't that sound yummy?"

"I'm allergic to potatoes."

Allergic to potatoes? She'd never heard such a thing.

"Last time Mommy brought me here they put bread in my salad, even when she told them not to. And the food is nasty."

"Okay." It was taking all her training to keep her cool with this child. Did he expect her to believe that he was allergic to all those things? She wondered how much was allergies, and how much was just being difficult. "If you don't want to eat here, where would you like to eat?"

Jason paused a moment. "My Gramma's! She makes me stuff I can eat, and it doesn't taste like cardboard yuck. And no macrobiotic shakes!"

Jimmy pulled into the drive for the hospital, pulling up to the visitor's entrance to drop his friends off at the door. They had been uncomfortably silent the whole trip to the hospital. Clark sat in the front passenger seat while Lois sat in the back. She glared at him the whole time.

"I'll, um, I'll go park your car, and then I'll leave your keys at the desk. Mr. White is going to pick me up and take me back to the office. That is if you don't need me for anything else?" Jimmy asked, hoping that his friends would say something, anything.

"Find out what you can about Jessica Powell," Clark responded as if coming out of a fog. Then adding, "Thank you for driving us here, Jim."

"No problem, CK"

Lois handed the court order to Jimmy. " See what you can find on this judge as well. It seems that he has a problem with Superman. Let's find out what that problem is."

Lois looked over at her husband; the fire was back. Clark opened the door and slid out, getting Lois's door before she could. Lois accepted the gesture, taking his hand as she stepped out of the car. Jimmy knew that she would have ranted at any other man. He hoped that this was a sign that things were on the mend between the two, and that Lois's anger towards Clark would dissipate before too long. It would be great for things to get back to the way they were. Maybe he'll even get his mojo back.

"Everything is going to work out. Just you wait. Superman got your mom here in time, she'll be fine, and Ms. Lane, I'm sure your dad will get Jason back for you. You are a good mom, and I know that Mr. Kent is going to be a great father."

As Jimmy pulled away in the car, Lois placed her hands on Clark's chest. "You are going to be a great father, IF we ever get Jason back."

She looked into Clark's face, something more was troubling him, and if she thought about it, something he said back at the house bothered her. There was a deeper meaning to the conversation they were having that was so rudely interrupted; something to do with Zod, and mercy.

"What is it, Clark? This is more than your mom or Jason. You look as if you are struggling with something."

Clark smiled at the woman he loved. Even though it had been five years, she still knew him better than anyone else. No matter how hard he tried to hide, Lois would always find him and draw him out. Taking a deep breath to try and calm his fraying nerves he explained, "It was something Jor El said while he was healing Mom. He told me I'm going to have to kill Zod. I don't know if I can do that, Lois. But if I don't, and he ends up doing to Earth what he did to Krypton wouldn't I be just as guilty?"

Lois wrapped her arms around Clark, and he buried his head into her hair, breathing in her scent. That always calmed him. Her knowing his secret made things so much easier, but more complicated at the same time.

"I know you'll do the right thing, Clark. You always do." She placed her hands against his chest, and put on her 'good soldier face.' "But right now, we need to go and take care of your mother."

Ben paced the hospital lobby. Superman promised that Clark would arrive shortly, but it had been almost an hour. Even though he had presented the hospital with Martha's Power-of-Attorney, he was denied access to her room, or any information on her condition. Only family was allowed into the ICU, and, as they weren't married, he was shut out.

His stride was interrupted as the entrance doors slid open. A couple entered, but not the couple he was waiting for. Slumping down, disheartened, into a nearby chair he tried to divert his attention by watching the faux fish on the TV. The plants in the lobby were mostly silk, even the fountain in the center of the room turned out to be just resin. A sign near the elevators beckoned him to visit the serenity garden on the second floor, but when he had tried to access it, the doors were locked.

Deciding that it was time for him to take some action, he once again approached the nurse's station, hoping that he would finally be granted access to Martha's bedside. "Ben!" He heard Clark call. "How is she?" Clark, and his beautiful wife walked up to him.

"They won't tell me. I'm not family," Ben commented bitterly. Lois put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sure that they'll let you in, now that Clark is here."

Clark walked up to the desk. "We're here to see my mother, Martha Kent."

The nurse looked up and up at the tall man who was standing over her desk, then she turned back to the computer screen, quickly typing something on the keyboard.

"She's in ICU, family only. I'll need to see some identification." She glared at the older man who had been pestering her for the last hour.

Clark showed her his press badge and his driver's license. "This is my wife, Lois Lane," Lois gave an annoyed 'humpf' "Kent, Lois Lane Kent." She smiled sweetly back at the nurse. Unfazed, Clark continued. "And my mom's friend Ben Hubbard. I do believe you have his Power of Attorney. Now, will you please tell us what room Martha Kent is in?"

The nurse felt intimidated by the reporters, and knowing Ms. Lane's reputation she would be ripped to shreds in her next editorial, probably worse than when she tied into Superman. Resigned she allowed, "She's in room 4029. Take the elevator to the second floor, then the skyway to the next building. She's on the fourth floor. Please sign here and I'll give you each a security badge. I'm sorry I didn't let Mr. Hubbard in. I was just following hospital rules."

Lois smirked, "I guess we should follow the rules, no matter how fallacious, right, Clark?"

Clark ignored the dig at his earlier comment. "Thank you," he said congenially, taking Lois by the elbow and motioning for Ben to follow.

The lady that took Jason from his mommy was walking him into a very big, scary-looking building. He recognized the words Family and Court chiseled into a big rock, and wondered what they meant together. His mommy always told him that he could find the meanings of words by other words around them. She called it context. She told him he could learn a lot about things from context. Sometimes what people said and did was not what they meant to say or do, but he could find out what they meant by the context of their words or actions. His daddy Richard told him he could learn a lot from watching people, and by watching his surroundings.

She walked Jason down a long hall, and through some double doors that locked behind them. "Am I going to jail?" Jason asked innocently.

The woman laughed, "Heavens, no! I'm just taking you to a place where you can play until you're safe. And hopefully we'll find out who your father is, too while we are waiting.

Jason tried his best to be polite and calm. "If you want to know who my father is, all you have to do is ask."

The woman was stunned, could it really be that simple? After all the days she's fought to get to the secret of this boy's father, he would simply just give it up? But then, he is a five year old. Children usually are very cooperative and honest at that age. And would they have even told a five year old the truth? It couldn't hurt to ask who he thought his father was.

"So who is your father?" She asked sweetly.

Jason giggled, then took on an air of seriousness. "My father is Clark Kent. Richard White was my daddy." Jason's voice cracked as he said his daddy's name, "He died. Superman wasn't able to save him."

A voice came from behind, "Superman can't save everyone." Jason, and Ms. Powell both turned to see who was speaking. Ms. Powell recognized General Zod's assistant.

"Ms. Powell, I'm Linda Danvers, I was sent to pick up the boy." The tall blonde woman handed the smaller woman some papers that were neatly folded.

"I don't understand. I thought…"

"The General wants what is his. Everything is in order." She nodded to the papers, "There is nothing you can do to stop me. "

"_She looks more intimidating in person," _Jessica thought to herself, noting that she had the same red tint to her eyes that Mr. Kent had earlier. She wondered if there was something to do with the light reflecting in their glasses causing it.

"If you will excuse me, Jason has a very sensitive system. This stress is not good for him." As if on cue Jason vomited all over Ms. Powell's shoes.

"I'm sorry," he said his blue eyes welling up with tears.

Ms. Danvers scooped the boy up into her arms. "I'll take him to the restroom and clean him up. I suggest you go do the same," she called over her shoulder.

Lois and Ben almost had to run to keep up with Clark's long strides. The ICU was at the end of a horseshoe hallway on the opposite side of the hospital complex. It wasn't anywhere near where Superman had rested after he fell back to Earth. Clark paused as if listening before he opened the door marked 4029. Lois knew the look, someone needed Superman, and he was struggling with the decision to leave. She placed a hand on his back, and asked him quietly if it was bad. Clark nodded the affirmative.

"Ben and I will sit with your mom, why don't you go and take care of the paperwork." she suggested, giving Clark the out he needed. Then she added, "I know how hard it must be." Clark smiled back, his eyes glistened with unshed tears.

"Go, do what you have to do," Lois prodded.

As Clark started to walk away, his phone rang. Pulling it out of his pocket he checked the number. "Clark Kent here, I've been expecting your call. Do you have him?"


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: Many thanks to my Betas for their unending support, and their great grammatical stamina. I had hoped to have this to you all by Christmas, but alas, it did not happen. Thank you all who have reviewed, you help keep me going!**

Linda swept Jason up into her arms as she rushed out of the building and down a less traveled side-street, putting him down as soon as they were a good distance from the court building.

"Are you alright?" She asked, concerned that the child had been frightened. Jason nodded shyly, his blue eyes glimmering with a hint of tears.

"You're safe now, they can't get to you. I won't let them get you, Son of Kal El."

"Why do you call me that?"

"Because that is who you are."

"But my name is Jason," he replied petulantly. Linda smiled at the child as he assumed one of his mother's trademarked poses. His mannerisms may be those of his mother, but his appearance was clearly that of the House of El.

"Well, Jason Son of Kal El, do you have your crystal?"

Jason's eyes got big at the thought of _his_ secret. "I kept it safe, just like you told me to on Gramma's farm." He pulled it out of his jacket pocket.

"Good Boy." Linda carefully took in their surroundings. The street they were on was vacant, the pavement broken. Storefront windows were boarded up, facades crumbled. This part of Metropolis – the City of Tomorrow – looked more like a war-zone than the gleaming image of modernity that it had been before Luthor's attempt to recreate Krypton on Earth.

"The crystal is very special, and it will always keep you safe. Things are about to happen that you are too young to understand. I want you to take your crystal and think 'safe.' It will take you to a safe place."

"The bright light!" Jason shouted excitedly, his eyes lighting up with anticipation. He remembered being transported before, and was looking forward to being transported again.

"Yes, the bright light. The crystal will take you to safety."

"Are Mommy and Father going to be there, and Gramma? Are we going to the big igloo?"

Linda smiled at the child's innocence. He was the beginning of a new line, the hope of things to come, the future. "Your parents will join us."

Jason closed his eyes as he reached into his pocket, whispering the word "safe."

The rain pelted against the smoked glass of the hospital room. A TV droned in the background, masking the incessant beeping of the monitors and the IV attached to the frail body that occupied to hospital bed. Ben slumbered restlessly in a lounge chair that had been moved close to Martha's bed, evidence that Clark had at one point popped in. Lois looked up at the TV screen, hoping that there would be some hint of just where Superman had taken off to; instead, a corny 80's comedy was showing.

Lois stood up, the blankets that Clark must have covered her with fell into a puddle at her feet. Stooping down to pick them up she heard the creak of the spring loaded door opening. Without even looking up Lois snarked, "Finally decided to make an appearance, Clark?"

"Excuse me?" The doctor asked.

"Oh," Lois gasped, embarrassed, "I thought that you were Clark. Don't you hospital people usually knock?"

"Usually." The doctor shrugged and nonchalantly strode up to Martha's bed, taking a brief glance at the notes in her chart. "I just wanted to check-in on Mrs. Kent. We'll be taking her downstairs for some more tests in a little while. It really is amazing how quickly she has recovered. Her brain function is almost normal, as if Superman did something to restore it."

" I don't think he did anything out of the ordinary," Clark interrupted. No one had noticed that he had entered the room.

"Maybe not out of the ordinary for him, but perhaps for us it is. I mean look at how fast he heals. If we could just get a little of that amazing healing ability, people would live longer, we wouldn't have to perform amputations, surgeons would be out of a job, and the elderly and infirm would have so much better quality of life. If he would share the knowledge that he has locked up in that ice castle of his, we could become a much better world."

Lois lifted her eyebrow. "That worked so well with Luthor, didn't it? If Superman hadn't intervened – and almost die, I might add, we wouldn't be standing here having this conversation." She looked over at Clark, who was fidgeting with his tie, a small smile of gratitude graced his face.

The doctor was quiet, "I can see your point. But, let me say one last thing: when Mrs. Kent came in yesterday, the damage to her brain was similar to that of several mysterious deaths of people who had dealings with Superman. Don't you think that they might be related?"

"You're a doctor, are you trying to play reporter now?" Lois deflected; she was getting annoyed with the physician. As it was, she hated hospitals, and here she had spent the night in one and she wasn't even a patient.

"Uh, Superman thinks there is," Clark interjected. "He told me that General Zod is able to use telepathy to assassinate those he has no longer has use for, or those who stand up against him. It was a method used millennia ago by rogue factions in Kryptonian society, and was forbidden by Kryptonian law. Superman thinks he's sending him a message," Clark nervously pulled at his tie.

The doctor opened Martha's eyes and shined his light into them. The doctor scowled up at Clark. "So, Zod isn't the benevolent being he purports himself to be? He seems so sincere."

"He's a politician. They all seem sincere," Lois quipped.

Clark looked over at the doctor, a puzzled look on his face. "You seem familiar, Doctor, but I just can't place you."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Kent. I'm Dr. Hamilton. You can call me Emil. I don't like to stand on formality. I'm not really on staff here. They call me in when there is some extraordinary circumstance. I was the one they called in when Superman fell. Removed some kryptonite slivers from his back. I do hope that the stab wound has healed completely. I'd love to see if there is any scaring, and to know if there is any residual pain." Dr. Hamilton pointed in the general location of Superman's recent injury.

Everyone's attention turned to the TV as a breaking news message scrolled across the set.

"Metropolis police have announced that a body found on a remote beach was indeed that of notorious criminal mastermind, Lex Luthor. Luthor's remains seem to have been washed ashore after a squall blew up the coast. According to the coroner's report Mr. Luthor died of natural causes. No other information is being released at this time."

Lois slumped back down on the window seat. A weight she hadn't realized that she was carrying was suddenly gone. Her relief was brief though, for no sooner had the commercial break had ended then a velvety voice that she would never forget filled the airwaves. Zod was getting his fifteen minutes of fame. It was his contention that Lex was behind his reckless behavior, so of course the media, would bring him to front.

"Lex Luthor's death was not natural, nor was it accidental. His death has all the signs of a Kryptonian assassination, a form that has been used for centuries among the various houses of nobility, including the House of El, from which your Superman hales. It isn't surprising, really."

"General Zod, are you implying that Superman had a hand in the death of Lex Luthor?"

"I am just stating the facts, Mr. Harper. Lex Luthor has been fighting against Superman for years. Superman, who has spent several years building up the trust of the people of this planet, just to disappear for several more years; leaving Kryptonian technology unsecured. It was a ploy, clear and simple, to trick someone of Lex Luthor's cunning into stealing it, giving Kal El the clear mandate for eliminating said thief, and begin his true objective."

"And that would be?" The news anchor asked. Lois recognized him as a reporter that had major issues with her 'special' relationship with Superman in the past.

"What the House of El always intends, the subjugation on humanity. Kal El claimed that he went back to Krypton, to see if it really was destroyed. What he really left to do was to find the mythic city of Kandor, a city of Kryptonian warriors sworn to serve the house of El. If he has found that city, then with the secrets hidden away in his so called Fortress of Solitude, he truly will be unstoppable."

The anchor paused for effect; just long enough for the masses to absorb what was said.

He carefully considered what he would say next.

"According to my sources, you've petitioned to get custody of Lois Lane's son. Why?"

"For his safety. Ms. Lane wrote a scathing article against Superman, something that would have led to a very unpleasant demise on Krypton. You don't speak out against the House of El without punishment, they were in effect, in control of what government there was on Krypton. By speaking out against Kal El, she put her, and her family's life in danger. After the sudden and unexplained death of her fiancé, I felt that it was in the child's best interest if I were to have him placed someplace safe. I don't even know where he is at this time, only my assistant knows."

Lois had enough of Zod's silky voice, she clicked the TV off.

"Tell that Zod character that he's all wet," a weak voice cracked from the bed. All eyes turned to watch as Martha struggled to sit up without overly exposing her backside. "I hate these wretched gowns."

Martha turned to look at Ben, "Ben, dear, could you please go a rustle up a couple cups of coffee for us?" she looked over at Doctor Hamilton, and winked, "That is, if the good doctor says it's okay for me to have a cup."

Doctor Hamilton looked down at Martha's chart, the nodded slightly. "You can have one cup, as long as it's decaf. We don't want your blood pressure spiking. It is a miracle that you came out of this as quickly as you did. We wouldn't want to undo all your healing."

The doctor turned to Ben and said, "There's a small coffee cart in the lobby on the main floor. They have some of the best coffee in Metropolis. If you want just a good plain cup of black coffee, I recommend you get an Americano."

"Is this one of those fru-fru coffee carts?" Ben asked.

"You don't have to get a fru-fru coffee, and you don't want to drink the muck that they make on the floor. I used to use it to weather cars on my train layout, then it started eating through the plastic," Doctor Hamilton joked.

Ben grimaced at the thought of what that might do to poor Martha's already weakened system, "I guess I'll wander down to the lobby and rustle us up a couple cups of Joe, Martha," and headed out the door.

Clark walked over to his mother's bed, and sat down next to her, taking her small, frail hand into his large, strong ones. He gently stroked the loose skin on the back of her hand with his thumb. Those hands that had provided comfort to him in his childhood, and nursed him back to health after his foolish journey into the darkness of space, to the graveyard that was once his home.

Doctor Hamilton's voice pulled Clark out of his reverie. "Zod is not what he appears to be. He is not a powerless, elderly gentleman, or a helpless refugee from a destroyed world."

"What do you mean?" Lois asked.

Emil pulled one of the chairs closer and motioned for Lois to sit. He paced restlessly as if he were trying to put the words together to fashion a story. "I work for Star Labs; I've worked there for several years, now. My specialty is genetics, but I putter around in other fields. Usually those that need the most, shall we say, discrete handling."

"That's why you're so familiar." Clark mentally slapped himself.

Emil nodded. "I did the DNA tests for your son, Mr. Kent. Amazing child, I'm looking forward to watching him grow up."

Lois looked confused. Dr. Hamilton finally sat down on the exam stool. "When the three Kryptonians were first incarcerated they fell violently ill, their immune systems unable to cope with the various microorganisms that share our planet.

"The prison doctors did what they could, but they didn't know the first thing about Kryptonian physiology. When Ursa lost the child she was carrying, I was called in."

Lois and Clark were both stunned, "Ursa was expecting?" Clark stammered.

Dr. Hamilton gave a slight nod, his lips pursed. "As I studied them I found that their DNA is basically the same as ours. That's why Kryptonians look like us. The difference isn't in the DNA, but in the Mitochondria – the powerhouse for the cell. Mitochondria is passed on through the mother, it is basically the same in all humans, that is why it is believed we have a common ancestry, we are all descended from the same female."

"Could humans and Kryptonians share a common ancestor?" Martha asked, looking over at Clark.

Clark shrugged, "It's possible, I suppose."

"But what does Mitochondria have to do with Zod not being what he says he is?" Lois asked.

"Everything," Emil answered. "There was something different about Ursa and Non. Their Mitochondria looked like it had been altered, changed. Zod's not so much. It was like there was a genetic switch that had been turned off, but Zod didn't have that switch. And from what I saw when I looked at your cellular sample, Mr. Kent, you don't either."

"I d-don't know what you mean, Doctor," Clark stammered, surprised at the boldness of the man standing before him.

"I ran the paternity test for you and your son. While I was examining the results I noticed a slight defect in Jason's Mitochondria, I thought that it might be an explanation for some of the physical ailments he suffers from. Then I remembered that I had seen similar Mitochondrial DNA in the past, those of the three Kryptonian criminals, and also in the sample I had from Kryptonite I removed from Superman. I had to run another sample to compare it. Imagine my surprise when I found that you and Superman had the same DNA."

Clark acquiesced. "Kryptonians were genetically modified. Most were incubated in a birthing matrix. General Zod and I were not, allowing for us to live outside the confines of Rao, Krypton's sun. General Zod wasn't lying when he stated that Kryptonians could not exist on other planets; that practice was stopped generations ago, but many families chose not to have their genes repaired, opting instead to remain on Krypton no matter what."

Doctor Hamilton nodded, his hair flopping lazily into his face. "I did notice that there was a slight alteration in your cells. Yours and Zod's cells are beginning to break down. You both are aging, granted more slowly than a normal human, but you are aging. And from what I am noticing of General Zod, his aging is beginning to speed up. He now appears to be in his early 70s. It has taken five years for his body to adjust, but I do believe that he is aging normally, and the case is the same for you Mr. Kent."

"_You will become one of them, you will become mortal."_ Lois covered her mouth as she remembered what Jor El and Lara had said when Kal El first entered the molecule chamber. Is that what they meant? Not that his powers would be gone, but that he would be subject to the same life expectancy as a human? Lois turned to Clark, "Clark, is it possible? Could that be what they did?"

Clark was thoughtful. "It makes sense, Lois. My parents sent me here to have a chance at life. But what kind of life would I have if I outlived everyone I ever loved? They didn't want me to make a rash decision, but once I did decide to spend my life with you, they had to make changes that would once and for all allow for that, changes that would give me a normal lifespan, and with it all the frailties that come with it." The room grew quiet as the occupants pondered the meaning of their discoveries.

"Clark!" Lois suddenly shouted, "Zod said that his assistant has Jason. That maniac has our son!"

"Calm down, Lois. Jason is safe, I promise you. Zod doesn't have him, your father does."

"But he said his assistant took him." Lois's eyes were wide with fright.

"She did." Clark winked conspiratorially, "She's my cousin, Kara Zor-El." Lois, overcome by all the emotional turmoil, fainted.

**It only takes a couple minutes to review. Please do.**


	27. Chapter 27

**I'd like to thank all of you who take the time to read my ramblings. I'd also like to thank my betas for the wonderful job they do making sure that my story works.**

**Oh, and I don't own Superman, Lois, Perry, DC Comics. **

Chapter 27

Clark caught Lois before her head hit the floor. He didn't need to deal with another brain trauma today. Doctor Hamilton rushed to their side, offering assistance.

"Does she do that a lot?" Emil asked, concern evident in his tone.

"Since I've been back she's fainted a couple times. I don't remember her being prone to fainting, though. Come to think, she did faint shortly before I left."

"Was she pregnant?"

"I didn't know, but yes, I think she was."

"And now?"

There was a pronounced pause, as Clark looked at the petite woman in his arms, she was starting to stir. Pursing his lips, he closed his eyes and nodded. "It's Richard's."

"You're sure about that?"

Clark looked at Doctor Hamilton, his eyebrow raised. "I've only been back a few weeks; we've only been together once since I've been back, and that was a few days ago. She was pregnant before that."

Lois opened her eyes slowly, rolling on her side so that she could sit up. "Who's pregnant?"

The two men looked at her incredulously. Doctor Hamilton gave Clark a look that said, "You need to tell her." Instead, Martha, who had been wondering the same since they showed up on the farm, finally broke the silence.

"Lois, honey, you've been having morning sickness since Richard died. Why do you think I kept making you eat something before you went to bed?"

Lois looked down at her abdomen, and noticed for the first time that, yes, it was again starting to swell.

"I guess that explains why my clothes aren't fitting. I was starting to blame your cooking, Mrs. Kent."

The group burst into laughter as Ben walked into the room carrying two paper cups with blue lids on them. Lois's well trained nose honed into the smell of fresh coffee, which triggered a different response than she expected. Struggling to her feet she quickly made her way to the small bathroom, nausea overwhelming her desire for the liquid stimulant.

Clark followed her into the restroom. "I'll make sure she's okay."

"She'll be fine, honey."

Clark looked at his mom. "I know. I just want her to know that we'll be fine. I'm here for her; she's not going to be alone."

Clark walked into the bathroom. Lois sat on the slate blue tile floor, her back against the wall, knees up, her arms wrapped around them. She gave her husband a wary glance. Kneeling down beside her, he placed an arm around her small shoulders, pulling her against his strong chest. They sat silently for a few beats, Lois finally breaking the mood. "I need to go to the office."

Clark looked at her, the question dying on his lips.

"I need to go clear out Richard's office. The new managing editor needs it." She held her phone out to Clark so that he could read the email from HR.

Clark made his way to his feet, reaching down to give her a hand up. "I'll take you there."

Lois looked through the crack of the door. "You need to get your mother situated. This is something I need to do."

"You don't need to do it alone."

Lois put her hand on her slightly protruding belly. "I'm not alone."

"Are you sure about this?" Clark asked again as Lois grabbed her coat and purse.

Lois turned as she placed her hand on the door handle, pulling it open. "This is something I need to do. The last thing before we pack up the house. Richard's office was his quiet place, the place he'd escape to when he couldn't go flying. I'll be okay."

She turned and walked out, the door slowly closing behind her. Clark listened as her steps quickened, his heart broke as she sobbed while waiting for the elevator to arrive. Once again she was expecting, and the child's father wasn't going to be there.

"She needs this closure, Clark," he heard Martha say. "It's all part of grieving. She was with Richard a long time. She just found out she's expecting his child, that he'll never know his child, never have that chance."

Clark looked at his mother. "She shouldn't have to go through this again. I should have…."

"You should have what, Clark?" Ben asked.

"I should have stayed away," Clark answered. "I shouldn't have come back, to Metropolis I mean. Maybe if I had stayed away…." His voice faded.

"Mr. White would still be dead, and a madman would have taken your son," Doctor Hamilton interjected, "A tyrant who for whatever reason holds you responsible for his defeat, and thinks…."

Clark's eyes burned as he looked at Dr. Hamilton. "I know what he thinks." He looked to Ben, then back at Emil, calm taking control again.

"We need to get my mother, you, and Mr. Hubbard someplace else, someplace safe. Is she strong enough to travel?"

"That depends on the method."

Clark pulled a small clear crystal from his pocket. "Superman gave me this, it is an inter-dimensional key, it can take you all to safety."

"Do you really think I need to hide?" Dr Hamilton asked.

"Zod blames you for the death of his child, and of his wife. What do you think?"

Dr. Hamilton paled at the implication. "When do we leave?"

Perry's attention was pulled away from the document he was currently editing, the paper covered in red ink, the editor's marks making a roadmap for the intern's rewrite. The distraction was not unexpected, but unnecessary.

He watched as Lois looked around the newsroom, a haunted look on her face. He knew that it wasn't easy for her to be there right now, the memories of her former fiancé lingered in the room. The way he made her laugh, encouraged her through the tough times after Kent left, and then again after _HE_ returned then fell….

So much has changed in such a short span, but the more things change, the more they stay the same. He watched as she gave a slight shake to her head, then moved towards Richard's office, her mind made up, and when Lois Lane made up her mind to do something, nothing would get in her way.

His observation was broken as the phone rang. Loueen knew not to put calls through during deadline, unless it was urgent.

"White here."

Perry's face turned stony as one of his most reliable sources filled him in on a breaking story, one that could potentially destroy the very lives of the best reporting team the "Planet" ever knew.

"Great Caesar's Ghost!" Perry exclaimed as he slammed the receiver down. "Damned politicians," he grumbled.

"Lois Lane wasn't the only pit bull in this bullpen." Perry said to himself as he rose from his seat and exited his office. "If they want to pour gasoline on the fire, I'll just toss on a little C4 for excitement."

He walked over to Richard's office, and entered without knocking.

"Lois, I just got off the phone with Kat, we need to talk."

Lois turned a tear-streaked face towards her boss. Perry stared at her a moment, not quite recognizing the woman who was standing before him. She looked more fragile that he had ever seen her before, and he wondered just how much more she could take before she broke.

He jumped as a warm hand touched him from behind.

"What's up, Chief?" Clark asked, as he brushed by to stand next to Lois, his manner protective.

"The UN just released a press statement, they declared Zod the leader of any Kryptonian refugees that might just happen to arrive on Earth. Ceded control of the Fortress to him and designated it and the surrounding territory as Kryptonian soil, under his direct control."

Lois slumped down to the floor. "They just gave him the keys to the kingdom, Chief."

"Has anyone from our government made an official statement?" Clark asked. Perry watched the muscle on Clark's jaw twitch. He was angry, but was he angry enough to do something about this travesty?

"Just Lopinsky. She's gloating over the whole thing. Thinks it is about time that someone corrected the wrongs committed against Zod. That Superman is about to be 'put in his place.'"

"Someone needs to put that woman in her place," Lois replied angrily. Clark placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"That isn't all," Perry interjected. "The UN also has called for Superman, and his collaborators to be brought before the world court for crimes against humanity."

"Crimes? What the –? Superman has done nothing against humanity. He has dedicated his life to helping mankind. What the **** is going on? Has everyone lost their minds?" Perry smiled as he saw the flames flicker in Lois's eyes again.

"You two had better get out of here. There is a warrant out for your arrests as well." The puzzled looks on the faces of his best reporters told him everything he needed to know. "They say you were behind the kidnapping of Jason. That you had him taken from the foster care facility."

"I'm not running from them, Perry. I'll show them just what General Sam Lane's daughter can do."

"Your dad is up for Court Marshal."

Lois looked over to her husband. "Clark?"

"It'll be okay, Sweetheart. Trust me, it will be alright."

Clark looked to Perry. "Superman gave us a crystal to give to you. If you need to get to safety, just hold it and think 'Safe.' It will take you to a safe-house. Lois and I are going there now. My mom is there already." Clark held the crystal out to Perry. As he took the crystal into his hand it started pulsing, and warmed to his touch.

"And Jason?" Perry asked as he put the crystal in his pocket.

Clark smirked. "Do you really want to know?"

Perry though for a moment. "I've been a journalist my entire life. I believe in the rights of a free press, but, frankly, I think those days are numbered. I've seen too many instances where 'contempt' was invoked. You're right. I want to know, but I don't need to know."

He pulled Lois and Clark into a hug. "You two take care." As he pulled away from his favorite reporting team, a ding announced the arrival of another distraction. Agents dressed in black suits exited the car, and swarmed around the office, the blonde woman who had taken Jason from Lois the day before swaggered up to Perry.

"Mr. White," she called out, "I have warrants for the arrests of Lois Lane and Clark Kent for kidnapping, obstruction, and contempt of court. They were seen entering the building earlier." She looked around the bustling bullpen, its maze of desks and cubicles. "Where are they?" she demanded.

Perry glanced to his side, realizing that the Kents had disappeared once again. Pawing at the crystal in his pocket, he wondered if he was going to have to use it. "They were just here. I guess you missed them."

Ms. Powell was getting annoyed with the games this group of reporters were playing. She had a job to do, a child to protect, and they kept stonewalling her.

"Where did they go?"

Perry gave her a look that would reduce most bureaucrats to fear as they realized that they were up against the EIC of the most prominent and respected news organ in Metropolis. She just glared back at the man, cold and emotionless.

"They didn't tell me, and I didn't ask," he responded equally as cold.

"You are aware that I can have you arrested as an accessory."

"And this paper–"

"This paper can do nothing. I have an order from a federal judge, another from congress, and a third from the justice department. You have nothing, Mr. White. Now I suggest that you tell me where Lane and Kent have taken the boy."

"That boy is their son. And they are as concerned for his wellbeing as you pretend to be. They had nothing to do with his disappearance. The Kents were at the hospital tending to Clark's mother, who just had a stroke. Why don't you ask General Zod where the boy is, from what I have heard, it was his assistant who took him. Isn't that what he claimed just a few hours ago?"

"Do you really think that CSD wants people to know that a child was taken from our care? People want to trust –"

"Yes, people want to trust the government, and their heroes. Yet you are working to destroy that trust. If you want answers, go talk to Zod. He seems to know more than he's letting on."

"General Zod is working with this administration to bring about the changes this country, no this world so desperately need. Hope that Superman was supposed to bring, but so far has failed."

Perry was dumbfounded. Never before had he even thought that someone other than a hopeless felon would feel such negative emotions towards Metropolis's hero. Something was happening to the people of Metropolis; they were beginning to believe the propaganda: that Zod was good, and Superman wasn't. Once again he fingered the crystal in his pocket, deciding once and for all he would stand for truth and justice, no matter what. Someone had to be the voice of reason.

"It's only a matter of time before you are implicated in this conspiracy." Jessica sauntered out of his presence; her goons following close behind. "Superman isn't the friend you think he is," she warned as the elevator doors closed between them.

Jimmy approached the chief cautiously. "What was that all about?"

"A whole mess that you don't even want to get involved in."

"If this is about Lois, Clark, and little Jason, this is one mess I want to get involved in. They're like family to me, Chief."

"Jimmy, I'm pretty sure that for that reason alone, Lois and Clark want you to stay out of it."

**Reviews are welcome!**


	28. Chapter 28

**I'm back! Sorry for such a long time since my last update, but my RL is very crazy and I have been dealing with several crisis both at home and work. Things are finally getting to a somewhat normal routine and I'm hoping to get back into writing. **

Lois gasped for breath as Clark whisked her out of Richard's office. Good thing Perry kept to the original style windows that opened, she thought. So many modern buildings would not have accommodated Clark's style of departure. She gazed upon the face of the man who was so fiercely protective of her; the intensity of his countenance took what little breath she had left away.

Clark slowed as entered a large cloudbank. She expected to see the burst of sunshine, but was surprised as he stayed inside the fog.

"Sorry for that, Lois. It seems that we aren't safe anywhere, anymore." Clark turned his gaze off into the distance, the forlorn look, the loneliness she saw the day he confessed his identity to her had returned. She placed a tentative hand on his cheek, his muscles twitched beneath her touch, as she turned his face back to her.

"What is it, Kal El?"

"We have to do whatever has to be done to keep him safe, to keep him away from anyone who would use him…."

"You're not talking about Zod, are you? What is worrying you?"

"Zod would use my son against me, but there are others who would not only use him to get to me, but also as a weapon. They want power, and would go to great measures to gain what they desire. Humans have been doing it for centuries, grabbing the children of their enemies, brainwashing them into believing that they were unloved, unwanted, turning them against their own people and making them killing machines." Superman grimaced. She remembered that before he left Clark had been writing about "armies" in Africa that were committing such atrocities. His anger was evident in the way he attacked his keyboard. She remembered her fear that he would give himself away if he wasn't careful. But that was before she tricked him into revealing himself the first time, and one of the driving factors behind her ploy.

"We have to keep him safe. We cannot give them any hint that their assumptions are correct. We have to keep the world from ever knowing that Jason is my son."

Lois gave her husband a flirtatious look, hoping to keep his brooding nature at bay, "Kinda hard to hide the fact that Clark Kent is Jason's father when he looks so much like him. Not to mention that his mother is head over heals in love with said man."

Superman gave Lois a quick peck for that comment. Lois answered in turn, deepening the kiss, hoping that he could feel the love pouring out of her into him. As Clark released her from their kiss, she became aware of the feel of solid ground beneath her feet. Looking around she knew that they had landed in their backyard.

Clark gave her a crocked smile, "Sometimes the best way to hide is in plain sight. And sometimes it is best to just let things be."

"And sometimes it's best not to give nosy neighbors a peek-show."

"Lois, most of the houses around here are empty, or haven't you noticed. Most of our neighbors are either at work, or out of town. Many of them took off after the earthquake. You still don't quite get it, do you? I won't do anything to put my family in jeopardy."

Lois turned on her heel and headed for the house, thoroughly chastising herself for once again doubting him. Clark really was trying to make it all work. It wasn't his fault the whole world was crazy and wanted to take their son away from them. As Lois entered the house, all was still. She had expected Jason to come charging into her arms. It had been days since she held him tightly and she missed him.

"Where's Jason?"

"He's someplace safe – someplace that no one can find him." The way Clark paused made Lois nervous, he wasn't telling her everything.

"Kal El," she tried hard to hold back the fear that was swelling in her chest, "where is my son."

Clark looked down at the floor taking a deep breath of resignation, "I had to put him someplace they couldn't find him. I was worried that they placed a tracking chip in him."

Lois grimmaced, "You'd don't really believe…."

"I don't know who we can trust, Lois. This is my son we are talking about, and they want to get control of him, even if they have no proof that he is who they think he is." Clark paused as he flopped himself on the sofa in their livingroom.

"We can try to hide the truth, use subterfuge and diversion to keep the truth from the majority of the world. But there are those who…"

Lois finished Clark's thought, "No matter what we say or do to convince them otherwise, they will always believe that Jason is Superman's son."

"Exactly."

"So, I'll ask you again. Kal El, where is my son?"

"My ship."

Lois expected anything but that answer. "Your ship? But isn't it buried? You buried…."

"I launched it back into space and performed some repairs and upgrades. Jason is fine. Jor El and Lara are tutoring him as they did me while I traveled to Earth as an infant. They were programmed to raise a child in those conditions after all."

"So. He's alone. In space. With the AI of your dead parents to take care of all his needs. Clark, what the hell were you thinking?"

"When you put it like that, it sounds pretty bad. But, honestly, Lois, I had to get him to safety. The AI sends me regular updates, and we can talk to him anytime we want. And he's not alone. He has a… puppy with him."

Clark winced as he said the last part. Lois couldn't hold back as he stammered through, so very Clark.

"So," she started, desperately trying to hold back her laughter, "So," she tried again. "You think a lone five-year-old can take care of a puppy? In a spaceship?"

"Well, the pup is really catching on to only using the puppy mats for his duty. And Jason is really good about disposing of it." Clark's eyes flicked past her and through the window.

Lois's eyebrow went up with that comment, "Where does he dispose of it?"

"The waste containment unit. The ship will recycle it, use it for energy."

That brought another thought to her mind, "What is he eating up there? I mean, I didn't see a galley, and he isn't really old enough to cook."

"Lois, you forget, that ship is a Kryptonian vessel that flew me across the galaxy. It can create sustenance that is suitable for our son, even more nutrious that anything you can find here on Earth."

Lois ran her hands through her hair.

"It is only for a short time Lois." Clark said reassuringly. "But, if you are still worried about him…" He took her hand and led her to the study. On his desk there was a small crystal console. He took a crystal from a drawer and placed it in the console. The crystal started glowing and then Jason appeared to hover over the desk a black ball of fluff hopping around him, Lois couldn't tell which was moving faster the: dog's tongue or tail. The little boy's giggles were infectious, and the medicine Lois needed.

"Con El," Clark addressed his son, "Are you enjoying your puppy?"

Jason looked up to a screen that projected the image of his parents. "Mommy!" he shouted as he jumped up. "Daddy let me have a puppy. Cousin Kara and I found him, and we saved him." His face suddenly turned sad, "the others died before we found them, though."

"Others?" Lois asked, suddenly curious at his unmentioned rescue, and the way he was already responding to his Kryptonian name.

Clark spoke up, "When Kara took Jason from the shelter they found a box of puppies in an alley. Someone had just tossed them out like garbage. There were six puppies in the box; Lucky was the only one who was still alive. Barely."

"Grandpa Jor El is helping me make him better, Mommy. He says it helps him understand Earth's inhab, inhap, the creatures that live on earth. He says it is important for even him to keep learning."

Lois smiled thinking about an AI rendering aid to a dying puppy while teaching the values of life and learning to her son.

"Grandfather also says that taking care of the puppy will make me a better person."

Lois looked over at Clark, "A shameless plug there, Smallville?"

"There is a lot that can be learned by taking care of a pet, Lois. Patience, understanding, responsibilty, unconditional love…."

"All the traits that I love about you." She smiled as she gave him a peck on the cheek.

Watching her son through a holographic image made her heart ache for him even more that it had. Tears filled her eyes as she looked at his cheerful face, and listened to him tell of all the fantastic things he had learned about and seen. True, he was going to learn more than he could ever dream of learning in a terrestrial school, but somehow she felt that the longer he was kept away the less human he would be. After she told him a bedtime story, and wished him goodnight, she had to remind herself that this was only temporary, and that soon he would be back on Earth with his family — and then she could tuck him in properly.

Behind her the curtains fluttered against the open windows, Clark tensed as someone knocked at the front door.

**Okay, guys, you know the routine – reviews help us to be better writers, so please I need all the help I can get.**


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N Well, here it is: the final chapter of Shattered Illusions. I want to thank all you who have been so patient while I got through all of this insanity. There will be more to this tale, as this is only the first of several more installments. But please understand, I have my daughter's wedding to help plan, and job hunting to do, so I might take a while.**

Chapter 29

Lois' stomach clenched when the doorbell rang. Clark's suddenly pale face was all she needed to determine who the guest was. She looked to her still unmoving husband, disbelief evident on his face.

Lois put a her hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle push. "You should get changed. I'll get the door."

As Clark whooshed up the stairs, Lois pasted her smoothest smile on her face before opening the door. "General Zod. I would have never expected someone of your stature to visit the home of a lowly reporter."

The General looked at Lois, a tepid smile crossed his face just to be smothered by a mask of unpretentiousness. "I seek an audience with your husband – Lois Kal-El."

Lois blinked in disbelief then came to herself just as quickly. "At least you used the door this time," she said under her breath.

"What is it you wish to discuss, General?" Kal El's voice boomed behind her, causing her to start.

Zod looked past Lois toward the top of the stairs. "I wish to set the record straight. I wish to clear my name with the remnant of Krypton, so that I may live the last of my days in peace." He produced a long red crystal and presented it to Kal El.

"I thought that you destroyed this on Krypton." Kal El's brow furrowed as he examined the crystal carefully, as if using his x-ray vision to look at its very structure. He looked up, bewilderment etched across his features. "I don't understand."

"The crystal is real, Kal El. The one I destroyed was corrupted, falsified to meet the needs of those who wished to hide the truth. This contains the complete record of the events leading to my exile. It also contains, I'm afraid, documentation of your father's betrayal: How he succumbed to political pressure and surrendered his and your mother's life, as well as all the lives of Krypton to the Counsel."

Kal El glared at Zod, anger blazing in his azure eyes. Lois hoped then feared that he would release that anger and fry the tyrant.

"Clark. Kal El," Lois placed her hand gently on his arm. "Don't do anything you'll regret later."

Kal El didn't seem to hear her. "After everything you have said and done… you really expect me to simply believe that this is a true artifact from Krypton? If it truly is what you claim it is, where have you kept it? Why wait until now to deliver it to me?"

Zod crossed his arms over his chest. The simple pose spoke of his defiance. "I can understand your hesitance to believe me, your resistance to viewing its content. It is always difficult to find that what one has perceived to be true is in fact a falsehood. What was considered an act of evil to in fact be an act of good."

"You didn't answer my question. How did this get here?"

Zod stared back at Kal El coldly. "If you truly stand for truth and justice you will study this crystal and listen to all that is said. Look for the truth, or Krypton's fate will befall this world. I must leave you now. I am sure that you will do what is right, Kal El."

General Zod bowed to his host, then taking Lois's hand, placed a gentle kiss on the back of it. "It has been a pleasure, Lois Kal El."

Lois looked at her husband as if she had been dreaming. "What is going on here, Clark?"

Clark carefully turned the crystal in his hands as he studied it, then silently walked into his office closing the door behind him. The click of the lock confirmed to her that he wished to be alone, sparking a sense of frustration deep inside her. "Damn him! He still doesn't understand he doesn't have to do any of this alone," she thought to herself.

After she gave herself a few minutes to cool off and ponder Zod's message, she decided that if Clark wouldn't let her in, she would do what she always did. Walking to the locked door, she pulled out her handy hairpin, and deftly unlocked the door to his study. She pushed the door open as quietly as she could, hoping that he was more drawn to the crystal than to her at the moment.

An image floated in the air above Clark's desk then suddenly winked out. The offensive crystal rested in the portable console he had constructed when he hid Jason in the crystal ship. Clark's blue eyes were bloodshot. Moistness glimmered on his cheeks.

"If this is true, than I have been wrong. What am I going to do, Lois. What if everything I have believed about the destruction of Krypton was wrong? What if…" Clark's voice trailed off.

Lois crossed the room and placed her arms around her husband. Too many people saw only the Man of Steel — the impervious hero who always saved the day. Only a few knew that underneath that visage was a man as fragile as any human. And only she truly knew just how fragile that was.

"We created it, Lois," Clark said. "My ancestors made it. My father stumbled across it, released it. He released evil, he wrought destruction on Krypton."

The air pressure in the room changed and Lois sensed another prescience enter. Once again Kal El, her husband looked up to acknowledge their new visitor.

"Never trust Zod, Kal. Our ancestors did not create a super-weapon, nor did your father release one. What happened was the natural course of action.

"Krypton was unstable at the end. Rao was dying, extending its gravitational pull. Krypton was as delicate as the crystal in your hand. Science stabilized Rao, but the counsel refused to believe that the planet was in danger.

"Your father told you truth. Zod tried to use the impending catastrophe to rally his followers to push for Kryptonian expansion. He wanted Earth. He wants only to rule in totality. And will stop at nothing to achieve just that."

Kara looked from Kal El to Lois. In her eyes was a silent message, a plea for her to be Kal El's strength. In a moment the feeling had passed and the Kryptonian woman was looking at Kal El again.

"Zod would not have revealed that crystal to you unless he had a specific purpose. He was right about one thing. Earth faces the same fate as Krypton, but not for the reasons you believe. It's time to put fear and doubt aside. Krypton is gone, and we are all that is left. You were born to be a guardian, Kal. The world will need you now more than ever."

Zod alighted in an alley in Suicide Slum. "These people have been the easiest to sway. Their covetous nature rules their lives. So unwilling to lift themselves out of their pit, looking for a 'saviour.' Too bad – Kal El isn't him."

Zod walked from the alley and onto the dilapidated sidewalk. The red brick buildings that made up most of the slum butted up to the streets in some areas. Bricks were broken and missing. Windows hung dark with the grime and soot from years of neglect. The inhabitants of the slum, as well as many other slums around the world, gathered together in abandoned buildings and warehouses — any place big enough to hold a large assembly.

As those that have been neglected and maligned gathered, the petty thieves, drug addicts and drunks, buildings all around the world lit up. The image of Zod flickered to life as he stood on the stage constructed for this day.

"My friends," He spoke with proud confidence. "Today is the day we have all been waiting for. Today is the day that we all will have justice. Those who taken from us will pay for their actions. Those who look down at us will learn what it means to be made low."

Zod smiled as he imagined the cheers swelling around the globe. Soon it would all be his. "Today, my friends, is judgment day!"

Well, this is it for now. There are a lot of unanswered questions, and many loose ends to tie up. I'm hoping that it won't take me as long to get the next story written as it did this first part.


End file.
